Nigerian football is in crisis and as we begin to countdown to the Nigeria Football Federation Congress in August 26 which would elect a new leadership for the body, the present signals once again indicates a body that has failed to learn any significant lessons as the lust for power, greed has overtaken the interest to develop the beautiful game in our country.
The NFF election has generated intense heat as a result of the factionalization of the football family, a consequence of the crisis that began last June leading to the impeachment of Aminu Maigari as the NFF President.
Recently, more than fifty percent of the State FA Chairmen that met unanimously in Abuja resolved that Maigari be reinstated as the NFF President till August 26 when a new board would be installed.
We recall the sequence to the escalated crisis that a parallel congress had earlier on July 5 sacked the NFF board and the entire management and imposed on ad-hoc administration charged with the management of the Glass House.
FIFA had on July 9 suspended Nigeria and only after the suspension on July 18 after the revocation order of a Jos High Court on July 2 which declared the NFF board an illegal and who FIFA worried by the scandal of crisis in the NFF asked the secretariat to submit the names of the delegates, plus proof of their identities to ensure they are genuine stakeholders.
For the records there will be 44 delegates from the six geo-political zones during the congress that would elect a new leadership.
As we have heard, forms have been sold to aspirants interested in the elections as more drama continues to unfold. The General Manager of the League Management Company (LMC) Shehu Dikko, was literally marched out of the NFF office last week as officials refused to sell registration form to him.
Dikko we have learnt hosted the meeting for the state FA chairman at his residence after the initial venue at a hotel in Abuja was disrupted by security operatives.
Other aspirants were also unfortunate or unlucky as officials responsible for the sale of the forms were nowhere to be seen and this include Former Chairman of Kano Pillars Abba Yola, Amanze Uchegbulem a former Vice President of the NFF and Obinna Ogba a former board member.
We also learnt of some fist cuffs among members and aspirants who have even threatened a parallel congress if denied the purchase of the forms.
The chairman of the electoral committee Amani Biambo stopped the sales of forms suddenly. According to him it was due to confusion which set into the exercise which culminated in the locking of the committee’s office at Wuse Zone 1 in Abuja.
The NFF Vice President had indicated interest to contest as chairman but could not buy a form and was surprisingly presented a Vice President form for him to return to the same office.
Already, the litany of complaints and widespread condemnation has been deafening as the whole process has been revealed to be teleguided from above.
Former Nigeria International Winger, Adokiye Amiesimaka has stated that the football house needs a ‘’complete ventilation’’ for the administration of football in the country. He described the crisis ongoing in the NFF as the handwork of a small cabal as he said that Maigari had been betrayed by his Lieutenants who just like he did to Sani Lulu.
He wondered why none of the board members who now betrayed Maigari and conveniently pointed accusing fingers at him were not complicit in the alleged misappropriation, misapplication and maladministration, why did none of them raise any voice in protest or resign, and why were they always saying that all was well with football administration in Nigeria and consistently insulted any member of the public that tried to draw attention to the rot. He described the NFF board members as charlatans that are obviously without honour and are only in office to serve themselves.
Also, Former Nigeria Coach Adeboye Onigbinde has cited dearth of technocrats in the football industry as the bane for the country’s lack of progress in sport.
The 72 year old former FIFA adviser chided the NFF as being disgraceful and repeating the same mistakes and blunders and yet expects our football to grow as he said the little success we have had in football was due to exceptional talents and skills of our players that have always put in their best to make us proud.
FIFA has demanded the authentic list and photographs of the elective congress for the NFF election as it is designed to check against manipulation and to ensure that imposters are not accredited while genuine stakeholders are sidelined from expressing their voting rights.
FIFA also will be sending an assessor to monitor the congress and has asked to be regularly updated on unfolding events.
It is very obvious that the plan to stop Maigari and his supporters has entered an advanced stage and despite whatever successes Maigari may have achieved will be sent to the dust bin and perhaps end his administrative contributions to the development of football.
For obvious and selfish reasons also, it is a known fact that the elections for the new NFF has been hijacked and programmed to install the choice of the establishment in order to remote control the new puppet in charge and once again walk down the path of shame and maladministration in our football and I am watching with sadness the glee of greed on the faces of our so called football administrators who have nothing tangible or impactful to show even as they serve as various State FA Chairmen.
There is confusion in Nigerian football at the moment and I believe that the dark days are here again. Nigerians will not be deceived by their vague promises or hallow knowledge of how to run our football, but I believe as far as we do not have the right caliber of persons running our football, then we will have a new set of adventurers on a mission of a trodden path where history beckons with these set of new clowns.
This is the only game that unites this country. The only game that has given us much mileage and the present set of charlatans at the NFF may just be the new set of plugs in the wrong hole. We continue to watch the unfolding mess with disgust and sadness.
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