Saturday 6 July 2013

Mikel Obi: My Family Could Not Afford Rent We Had Nothing,We Were Living From Hand To Mouth


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.

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