YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE NEEDED PLEASE

It seems as though everyone is catching Football Spirit and the opening of the African nations Cup. Why Just this morning, I received the following note from an old friend:

DEAR FRIEND,

I AM MISS HABIBA KHALIFA, THE ONLY CHILD OF LATE ALHAJI AND MRS.KHALIFA ISSAH MY FATHER WAS A VERY WEALTHY HOTEL OWNER BASED IN LABADI, THE BEAUTIFUL BEACH RESORT CAPITAL OF GHANA BEFORE HE WAS POISIONED TO DEATH WITH TAINED ELEPHANT MEAT BY HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATES ON ONE OF THEIR OUTING TO DISCUSS ON A BUSINESS.

BEFORE THE DEATH OF MY FATHER ON 29TH DEC 2005 IN A PRIVATE HOSPITAL HERE IN LABADI, HE SECRETLY CALLED ME ON HIS BEDSIDE AND TOLD ME THAT HE HAS A BANK OF HOTEL ROOMS THAT ARE HIS TO SHARE, HE USED MY NAME THE ONLY DAUGTHER FOR THE NEXT OF KIN IN DEPOSIT OF THE FUND. THESE HOTEL ROOMS ARE WORTH 28, 000, 000 EUROS.

HE ALSO EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THIS HOTEL THAT HE WAS POISONED BY HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATES, AND THAT I SHOULD NOT TRUST THE GOVERNMENT AND THAT I SHOULD SEEK A FOOTBALL TEAM FOR A PARTNER. PLEASE DEAR, I AM HONOURABLY SEEKING YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS.

1) I WILL REQUEST YOU TO COME TO LABADI (RESORT CITY) OF GHANA WHERE THESE ROOMS ARE BEING HELD TO MAKE THE TRANSFER FASTER.

3) HELP ME SECURE THE BOOKING OF THESE ROOMS AT THE PREVIOUSLY AGREED UPON RATE.

MOREOVER, PLEASE, I AM WILLING TO OFFER YOU THESE ROOMS FOR 30% OF THE TOTAL SUM AS COMPENSATION FOR YOUR EFFORT/INPUT AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER OF THESE BEAUTIFUL ROOMS TO YOUR FOOTBALL TEAM. FURTHER MORE, YOU CAN INDICATE YOUR OPTION TOWARDS ME ASSISTING YOU TO COMPLETE OUR TRANSACTION WOULD BE CONCLUDED WITHIN SEVEN (7) DAYS YOU SIGNIFY INTEREST TO ASSIST ME.
ISHA-ALLAH, YOU WILL NOT REGRET ASSISTING ME.

I hope that everyone is as eager for the Games to start as I am. Most of the EPL teams are starting to whine with their loss of players, but some of the more fearsome teams have come from West Africa (Nigeria always seems to stand out). And since sports is one of those healthy (and legal) economic ladders out of poverty, the game has a very serious quality.