 Welcome back, it's still the breakfast on Plus TV Africa and I'm glad to say we're joined by the man who is of Plus TV Sports, Wale Scott. As we look at the shocking news coming on a counter regarding Nigerian track star and record holder Blessing Ohabare who received a 10-year doping ban from the athletics authorities and of course the latest is that she has said she'll be reverting to her lawyer and approaching the cause of arbitration for sports to challenge the 10-year ban slammed on her by the athletics integrity unit for out-of-competition doping violations. The sprinters cancel Chinadu Udora disclosed this while speaking with Newsman in an interview saying that Ohabare's team will appeal the decision of the tribunal and is considering several options in addition to looking at things they believed were not right. Let's welcome Wale Scott at this time. Well is it Ohabare or Ohabare? Ohabare. Ohabare. Yes. Right, okay, interesting. Well this is a shock, I believe to some, to a lot of Nigerians if you look at what's going on in social media, way shocker. Somebody who is a sports expert and knows about these things but most of us do, were you surprised? Nigerian sports fans, yes, surprised, yes. I try to look at other humor in every situation, I don't try to see the seriousness in it. Nigerian fans, yes, shocked. Sports journalist? No. Because I'll explain to you, as a cub journalist, at a point in my, while I was still a cub reporter, I interviewed and at least I'll leave a name out of it this morning. You know, and... Quite popular. Yeah, quite popular. Was she a medal winner? I don't know. I think completely. You know, yes. You give her trouble. You know, we spoke about it and she was actually caught for doping at that point in time and she explained to me on my show then and said, well really, I had a cough, so I got a cough mixture and I didn't know codein was a banned substance. But you know, I'm just a sports journalist. I'm not a medical practitioner but I know codein is a banned substance. You know, so you ask yourself, where are the media team and your medical teams? They should know codein is a banned substance. But she claims she had a cough. Of course, as an athlete, as a human being, you can't have a cough. But to use a cough mixture that has codein in it, knowing that codein is a banned substance is wrong. The only reason why I can overlook her case medically is that codein doesn't make you any faster. It actually makes you slower. So that won't help our race or anything. You know, in a Cadbury's case, they consistently said, listen, we're not particularly angry at you because you doped. No. We're angry at you because we have invited you numerous times to investigate your situation and you have refused to come. Like Messi was asking a few minutes ago, why did she refuse to go? We don't know. Now, she's calling her lawyers. She wants to appeal. Appeal must be not going for your invitation. Which of the appeals does she want to appeal? The doping case or not going for the investigation panel? Because they're actually telling you not to listen. But not particularly, because let's ask ourselves a question. You use a human growth drug. Okay? Does it actually warrant 10 years? No. Really? It doesn't. 10 years is massive for any... A decade? For any event. And she's 33. So where does she start from at 43? Our career, all things being equal is over. But they are saying that, listen, we're not particularly punishing you because you doped. You can get two, three years, four years, max, five years for that. But we actually invited you numerous times and refused to come to the... A committee was set up consistently for her and she refused to go. So it brings me to this question now. Because you could look at the list, of course, you're a sports journalist then. We've had several persons on that list, trauma, drama. You have Miro Nyali. Which list? The list of persons who have actually been banned and eventually returned to the game. So my question now is, is there a possibility that with this 10-year ban, she could go in, I mean, she could do the ban and then come back and return to the career, just like the few names I've mentioned? My friend who works with a foreign media station, we were talking yesterday and he said that he spoke to one of the committee members who were supposed to investigate Okagbari and he said the only reason why she was running from the panel was because she had something to hide. That will be a case for her. A lawyer will have a lot of work to do, a lot of work to do because you have to convince that committee that she had nothing to hide and then three, four times she didn't come for the, if there's something wrong somewhere. Okagbari was obviously hiding something and the party will tell you that they say, listen, we're not saying she didn't do, well, she agrees she doped. Okay. Two, three years max. But why was she running from the investigative panel? That's the problem she will have. So don't we have a system? So Nan, I'm not sure you've answered. I understand the point that you've made. My concern is, do you see her doing the 10-year ban and returning back just like her counterparts, the like of Miro Nyali and Trauma Joua? Really? Do you see her going, no, I'm asking you. You expect, you expect to come back at 43. So there's no possibility. And do what now? No, I'm asking you. Come back and do what at 43, how? Listen, this is not football, where they are 11 players on the field of play, where I can pass the ball to Mercy, pass the ball to Kofi and then we can actually rest while we pass the ball. This is a solo event, sport event, it's solo. So you're on your own. You have to be physically, mentally strong to actually get this done. And Oka Baria has been described many times in our media tabloids as the Queen of Tracks of Nigeria. At 33, she's already going down. There's always a decline at this point in this sport. And at 43, which come back and do what now? She has retired right now. You talked about the previous, you know, instances and, you know, some Nigerian athletes who have had this, this issue. Even though you face, you tell us who that other person was, but I can understand, of course, it has to be in confidence. Some of the people out there, especially online have drawn, have said, you know, this is a racism. And they've looked at Maria Sharapova's case. I was, no, I was, I was going to, Sharapova's case is even too much. It's too far. Just recently, I don't want to use the word racism. I want to use the word double standards. I like that. You know, this young lady was caught for marijuana. What we call Igbo. Okay. She's an American, a black American. Scott for, what you call Igbo? Oh, the black American athlete. Yes. The one who said the THC does not. Yes, and they, and they banned her. Yeah. They banned her, and you ask yourself a question. In the state she lives in, in the country she lives in, cannabis sativa is actually illegal. It's not illegal, unlike in Nigeria. So she actually says what I did and what you are testing me for and saying I did wrong is actually legal in my country. So, but. And they banned her. And then a young lady Valiyeva, who used the same thing. Black or white. White. Who used the same thing that Ocarbari used was exempted as she was at the Winter Olympics. What, what, what, what reminds us of what Ocarbari is, search of use again? A human growth. Growth. Yeah. Yes. But this Valiyeva young lady used the same thing. She was exempted. She actually competed in the Winter Olympics at the last, at the end of yesterday. Well. So where I'm going is, I don't want to use the word racism. I want to use the word double standards. This girl used cannabis, which is legal in her country. And then Valiyeva used a human omen, omen, omen drug that Ocarbari used to and she was exempted and she competed and ended the Olympics with them last yesterday. All right. So she, I'm sure she has a double standard thing. What do you think about the reaction of Nigerians to Ocarbari's, the news of her ban? You know, love news outlets, carrying it, a lot of, and you get the sense that bad news flies fast because everywhere Ocarbari is in ban, ban, ban. You know, but I'm, I mean, some people were saying, no, where is a sense of a pity sense of, you know, sort of like consideration for her in the spread of disinformation without at least adding something to make it seem a bit, you know, fetch, because she's been the one flying the flag of Nigeria over the past few years, as far as getting medals of consent, at some times to her personal cost. You know, we don't, most times, most times you know about that, you know, to her personal cost. You know, so, I mean, do you think that the way we've talked about it, the way we've, I mean, even you said that, well, she had no excuse, blah, blah, blah. Do you think we should be more sympathetic towards her at this time in, in a coverage of this? Ocarbari is my person, as in person individually, and Ocarbari did something for Nigerians at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, and I was fortunate to have been there, and she actually led a protest that the relate team would not run. Why? Because they give them a hundred pounds every day, and the hundred pounds wasn't coming, and she fought for the rest of the crew, and said, listen, we must get our money. Who gives to the Nigerian athletes? Yes, of course, the Nigerian government, and you know, it was sad that at that point in time, this is funny, it seems funny though, at that point in time while Ocarbari was protesting, a particular Nigerian minister who wasn't supposed to be on the entourage in the first place was actually being told by the hotel to pay them the two thousand eight hundred pounds he was owing for watching porn, and then we were not we're not giving our athletes. He had a porn channel on. Of course, and he was actually owing two thousand eight hundred pounds. That's on not no money. Exactly, we're not paying our athletes their hundred pounds daily, and Ocarbari stood up, everybody was like, I don't want to allow, I don't want to allow, Ocarbari was the only one who actually said, we're not going to run, we will stay, and that single incident gave me a lot of respect while I actually walked to our interview that day, and I said thank you very much. You know, I had to thank her because most Nigerians don't stand up for their rights. She did that day. For the other people as well, for the other. It wasn't for her, she was cool. She had enough funds to actually take care of herself, but some Nigerian athletes who actually work in Nigeria applied their traits here didn't have, and she was fighting for them. If you come back home, that money don't ever work. It don't finish. Let's talk about, you know, the issue of control now, with the doping issue. I remember, you know, this report that was put out in 2018, where you have the system and the structure saying the government, of course, at the time, not you know, the government in charge of the system. So, for instance, the Nigerian Olympic Committee saying, we have been doing a lot to control doping issues among athletes with collaboration, I mean international collaboration, one of that, because you also have mentioned on the other hand that sometimes someone could have a cough and then decide to treat it, not knowing what not to take. And so the approach, it feels like the approach over time, that the Nigerian structure or the structure, the Nigerian, the Olympic Committee has taken, is that of awareness? I think they should, I think it's one of the world anti-doping agency, the ones who are in charge of that, and they do their regular out-of-competition checks three times a year and all that, and so much. No, I'm talking about, I'm talking about now, you know, when we come to the Nigerian, you know, the country itself. There's a little who can do about it. Look at Nigeria, for example, we went for the Olympics recently, and over 16 or 17 athletes were sent back home because they failed their dope test. And then Nigerian governments will look at you and tell you, we sent for you now, we sent you an email now, you didn't come. And I'm asking myself, which can talk with us? You know, really, you say we sent for you, you didn't come for the test, and how can you say you sent for your athletes? And that was all the failure to do some routine tests in the country. Exactly, because Russia, for example, Russia has been banned. They actually go for competitions now as ROC. Without the flag. Without the flag? Yes, because they say it was state-sponsored doping, which means the government knew they were doping and looked away. But in Nigeria's case, it's negligence. Nigeria's case, we don't send for them at all. But you have the Nigerian on looping. Exactly, that's the point. Is that what happens when you have, you know, people who are not professionals in this sport of traffic? Yes, sports generally. Not even sports generally. In Nigeria generally, politics, sports, whatever, we need to put around pegs, around holes. As long as we have, for example, Kofi can print very well for this man. So when the man gets there and becomes somebody, Kofi becomes commissioner for something. I hope, I hope, I hope I don't stop anyone from giving. But this is the premise I'm coming from. The fact that you have the, because, I mean, one would like to know, the Nigerian Olympic Committee has been saying that they've been doing a lot in terms of, you know, ensuring that there's control with doping amongst athletes. I mean, the media person for the NOC, Femi Aditula, we still spoke yesterday, she sent me a message yesterday, I was a barbitin person. You know what, the issue is that case of those people that were sent back home for filling their dope tests, has already put a smear on the NOC, love it or leave it. So, so much. This athlete has consistently said, listen, we even, some even said they even called and said, when have we gone to all our tests? Oh, some athletes. Some of them actually said, we actually called and said, our tests, I won't run any tests this year yet. And they didn't, so what was the aftermath of that scandal? They've all gone back home, they have gone for their other businesses I'm talking about the, in terms of the national living committee or even the ministry of sports or whatever, what's the aftermath of that scandal? Was there any inquiry? As long as politics stays in sports in Nigeria, and politics doesn't leave sports in Nigeria, nobody's going to be queried. So nothing is going to, nothing is going to happen now. Has anything happened since then? Has maybe at least a national assembly called anyone to come in? Just even if it's just for the cameras, answer any questions? Well, I guess some, they were invited. I can't remember what actually, they explained themselves, they said the athletes is not common, all that, but all things being equal, it's all negligence, because it used to be said if the athlete, like I blame the athletes too, don't get me wrong, because like I always tell people, or I tell our coaches in Nigeria, they don't like me very much, they listen to me, it doesn't like me very much, everyone doesn't like me very much. But I tell them, I say listen, you guys want to be at power with foreign coaches. If the government, don't blame the government for every time rain falls too much or sun shines too much. If the government doesn't bring money to take you for courses, go on the internet, check for private courses for coaches, raise the money and go on, it's for your betterment, better yourself. So I'm saying that if the government are negligent, they don't call you to come and get your tests, come for your test by yourself. I'm telling them, I'm here now, I want my tests done now, then any government say no. So the athlete, some of them actually say we called, but how many of them called? If the government doesn't call you, you are an athlete, you should know better. So for me in all of this is, they have also cited the issue of ignorance amongst, you know, these athletes and what have you, not knowing what to take and to take. And the approach that they have over time said to control the issue of doping in the system, because we need to understand what they are doing to help us, you know, reduce the level of all of these kind of experiences. I mean, so they have said the strategy we have employed is to create awareness, education, because some of these athletes don't know what to take. Like you rightly mentioned that. I think it's a lie. Most of our athletes in Africa, not in Nigeria alone, I have to say the Nigerian thing, in Africa most of them are greedy. It's not like they are that poor, they are all right financially. They can actually afford even if it's one man, in your medical team, who is a doctor, a sports doctor, who can take care of you. Ignorance is not an excuse in law. So we're doing enough to educate these athletes in Nigeria? Educate too now. You are an athlete. You should have a medical team. I don't expect any athlete to know what drug to take and what drug. I expect that, for example, there's a long list of what to take and what not to take. And there are some funny, funny names there, Chasbo Kinikon, Kolo Kinikon. You can't know where it is. Only medical people know. You're being heard on these athletes. I'm not. It's not an excuse to say that. I don't know what to take. How many people who are ill in this country look at the fine print of the drugs each time they buy drugs to read everything? How many of them are athletes or footballers? I do agree that you should have your own personal interest that had to say my development and my advancement, my success, is dependent on what I can do for myself. True. But ultimately, there is a set of people who have been tasked with the responsibility of administering the sport. Let's look at track and field, for instance, in Nigeria. And you have to have a program, because sometimes illiteracy can come into play. True. I mean, this guy who is in I don't know which European country is in. Is it America now? The one said, I never expiried it, was the young man speaking from Delta State. Even when he said, I never expiried it. You know, with that level of education he had at the time and exposure, would he know everything? In Nigeria, I like this. If the guys who are meant to administer and have a program to make sure they educate these people and guide them. Exactly. Because you can't take that away. 19 athletes going to an international tournament and feeling, you have to blame that specifically. No doubt on the administration. See, we already know our administrators and negligence. We know that. They are irresponsible. We know that already. That's why I'm with one saying that listen, it's your career. Blessing or category. What if you call the government I won't, like you said some athletes said, you want to have tests. And those tests are not conducted. Because the government is negligent. It's what they do. It's bottleneck. Nothing now. You said it's true to be said. If the government will take care of you, take care of yourself. No, no. But can you go do your own test somewhere? Yes. Don't we have the standard? I have a friend. The standard original, like, like, because each state, each country should have its own procedures. Was it not be certified by the authorities? You know. No, you don't. It doesn't have to. You can just go anyway. If the government doesn't send your tests to WADA, the World Antidoping Agency, go to WADA yourself. And if you know that, okay, good. It's a case of my government's negligence. I'm not abroad. I'm in Nigeria here. Send WADA a letter. Or they just drink water. So my government, or they just drink water. I might have this. If the water can, I mean, this is on a lighter note because this covers me. Really? I'm getting very interest. Really? Maybe they don't seem to just drink water and that's the end. They can't do that. There's a guy who works with the Lagos state government. His name is Buki, Dr. Buki. He's a sports doctor. That's all he does. We call him Bukatu. And whenever there is going to be a small, maybe like the sports festival, I can assure you the Lagos state athletes, they might not win gold all the time. They might not be the best in what they do. I don't know what other states do. They're just talking on that day. We all know what other states do to ensure they win. You know what? That's up on that day. You know what? I can tell you that the free test athletes at the sports festival, at any of the festivals at the Lagos state athletes, because Bukatu will always sit them down. They're all youngsters. You know, sit them down and tell them, don't eat for now. Don't eat this. For now, don't drink this. For now, don't do this. So it's just in Vega of sports, sports and Lagos. Not really. He's a sports doctor. So this is what I'm talking about. That's okay. If an athlete can actually say, okay, good. I mean Lagos or I mean Buja or wherever. And I can raise most of them have sponsors. I can raise a little money. Dr. Wookie, please. Once in a while, just come check me. Tell me what to do. Or even if it's WhatsApp, tell me what to eat. Tell me what to drink. Tell me what to do. How should I work it out? He can tell you. Where I'm going to is that the government have failed us. No doubt. Should we feel ourselves? Should I wait for the government to always tell me how to do? It's your career. So moving forward, sounds like you're preferring a solution that these athletes need to take their career. More seriously. They need to begin to take some decisive steps. The government can't do it all. Including going to the extent of getting to those international sports and national level too. Ensuring that they have been verified or they have been, whatever the case might be, just blow that trumpet and alarm. Love is a little bit. Most of us who are sports presenters are actually disappointed. Very, very. Because she's someone who goes for regular international meets. So she should know. It's like saying table tennis, Hirona Kodri is banned for doping. And like this guy goes for international, like is going to Uyengbu. So they should know better. She might not be literate, like whatever. She might not be as non-legible as we know. But this is someone who is practically always abroad. Much more than she's in Nigeria. Ignorance in that this, on Okagbari's level, yes. At least we're sent to most of them in Nigeria. I can understand that. I can take that. But not an athlete like Okagbari at that level. Okagbari has a run with everybody who meets us in the female sprint world. Across every meet in the world. From Paghi to Scotland to London everywhere. So for an Okagbari to tell you, she doped. And people are even saying it's not the doping that is doing us. And they tell you to come for, and they invert you for investigation. Once, twice, thrice, four times. And you don't go. It means that that serious concern. They are saying she has something to hide. So moving forward, how do we prevent all of this? I mean, we know that you have young people who are aspiring and who are getting into the scene of this becoming an athlete and getting into the sporting world. What can the government do now? Because from your conversation, you are broken in doubt to the fact that government has a responsibility to play. These athletes as individuals also have a role to play in ensuring that their career is actually in the right direction and the right constant. So let's break it down in this strata. Who is supposed to do what level, the responsibility that everyone, because at the end of it, it's a national disgrace. I mean, that's what I think. The fact that you wake up and then you hear that your very favorite superstar has been banned 10 years for doping issues, whether or not it's a fault or whether or not whatever it is, how do we prevent all of this from happening? Who should do what? The athletes should do what first? No, no, first of all, at what point does the government coming, the federation, the sporting federation, I don't know how it's called? The government doesn't, they don't live with you. Okay. They don't know what you do. So, but I'm saying, I'm saying that there's a federation that controls everything. They're even the federation too, don't live with you. So the what you're talking about starts from discipline from the athletes themselves. Okay. I shouldn't do this. I shouldn't smoke marijuana. I shouldn't drink alcohol. I shouldn't they should know that first though. And then what the federation can do is once in a while call you guys to a big hall and talk to you guys and the doctors check you guys and all that. That's the best they can do but the bulk still falls on the table of the athletes. They must be disciplined. They must understand Cristiano Ronaldo went to Manchester United and the first thing he did was try to talk the players into changing their diets. I think they saw him eating very strictly in the center. Yeah. You guys, where has he gotten them to? Nowhere, yes, yes. But you know, he wants to start out the process. He wants to start it's a process, you know. So, and Okagbari, whatever she used, I have a very, I said this yesterday and I'm saying it without fear of favor. I am very sure whatever Okagbari used, she didn't do it no really. Okay. I'm very sure of that. You're sure of that? I'm very sure of that. It wasn't a problem. That's fantastic. I think the first time I heard about this doping was Ben Johnson. Ben Johnson, yes. And then we had the drugs. Drugs. The word doping was drugs is a big thing for us. You know, so it was Ben Johnson not going to take Okagbari. You know, having watched Scarface and all those boys and all that and seeing that and then, you know, but well, here we are. We hope for the best for Nigerian athletes. She's a national treasure and we wish her all the best. Let's hope that she gets a reduced sentence and gets off the hook. Well, that's so much good. Take what it's called. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. For your time. Thank you. And for expert analysis on this particular issue. It was a pleasure having you on the breakfast. Merci. Well, thank you for setting up any part of the conversation. It's all right to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. What plus CV Africa and plus CV Africa lifestyle. We will return tomorrow. He promises to be an amazing composition. The time again is seven o'clock. I am Messi Bopor. Have a fantastic Monday. And I'm Kofi Bartels. Thanks very much for your time. See you tomorrow.