AL FAROUQ AMINU DENIES NIGERIA, DID HE REALLY?

Before the London 2012 Olympics, many Nigerians did not know who Al Farouq Aminu was, atleast not until D’Tigers qualified for the London 2012 Olympics. The London Olympics have come and gone, but take it or leave it, the Nigerian basketball team was apparently the only shining light for Nigeria at the games, their horrendous loss to the US Dream team notwithstanding.

BREAKING NEWS-Suddenly, the buzz is in the air, “Al Farouq Aminu has denied his Nigerian roots,” courtesy TMZ. What did he say?

Al Farouq Aminu was recently interviewed by TMZ, and after running out of intelligent questions TMZ decided to ask whether he was from Nigeria.  As in seriously? TMZ is interviewing a man with a Nigerian name, who just wore Nigeria’s colours at the Olympic Games and gave his best at the basketball event.  Of course Aminu gave an honest and good answer, he is American by birth but his father is Nigerian and as such he (AlFarouq Aminu) enjoys Dual Citizenship, simple truth.

But right now, either TMZ or other mischievous folks are making it look like AlFarouq denied his Nigerian heritage.  We’d like to see organizations like TMZ also interview countless ‘African immigrant’ athletes that wore the flags of Great Britain, Canada and other western nations, people like Mohammed Mo Farah.

The real question TMZ ought to have asked AlFarouq is, “Do you regret playing for Nigeria?” But that question was never asked or answered and as such Nigerians should not judge AlFarouq Aminu.

AlFarouq was born in September 1990, he is barely 22 years old, yet this young man decided to stand with Nigeria when it mattered most. AlFarouq’s older compatriots like Hakeem Olajuwon, who was born and bred in Nigeria, denied the country and never looked back.  

In the entertainment industry popular British acts like Taio Cruz and Tinne Tempah with full Nigerian parents, have never uttered the word ‘Nigerian’ from their mouths, let alone visit. Nigerian-America’s Wale before success came knocking once recorded free style covers of Psquare’s and Naeto C’s hit songs. But now after going Platinum in the US you’ve never heard him mention ‘Nigeria’, even though his mother holidays in Nigeria regularly. A sharp contrast from the likes of Akon who does not miss any opportunity to mention Senegal.  

Recent hit tracks like Psquare’s Beautiful Onyinye-remix ought to have featured Wale and not Rick Ross.***just saying***

AlFarouq Aminu alongside his other team mates in D’Tigers are true Nigerian Heroes, I’m also not forgetting Jonathan Akinyemi, Google him.

"Immigration is a way of life,it has nothing to do with how good a country is economically. Most of the Jamaican Athletes doing their country proud were either born,bred,raised or TRAIN in the United States of America. It's a personal decision,some people feel strongly about their heritage,others don't."  -Mr Stanley Nwabia