By: Stephen Udoh, Ketu, Alapere
I refer to your sports story, Why Nigeria Gives FIFA Headache, TELL, September 15, 2014. In watching the awful manner the NFF is being run and all the things that are happening within it, one is justified to shout at the top of one’s voice: NFF is truly a mini Nigeria in Nigeria.
Imagine the inflow of cash to NFF as stated in the story either as subvention or grants – N150,000.000, N850,000.000, $1,500,000 and $3,600,000. These are amounts which NFF is asked to clarify or refund.
The question that arises is, are leaders in Nigeria accountable to the people or any institution? If a leader, who places the nation above self and love of power, is committed to the oath of office, which he swore to uphold and defend as stipulated by the constitution, other organs of governance will sit up. And FIFA will witness a rebirth because its managers would offer selfless services and no one down there will change the guard for the fun of it.
Worthy of attention in the story are stolen monies to the tune of $236,000 and $80,000 between 2009 and 2012 respectively. Students of current affairs would recall a lot of missing monies in the coffers of the government, which do not bother the Nigerian authority because we are told in plain language that corruption is not the nation’s problem. And therefore one should “carry go.”
I wish to thank FIFA because while the international community is playing unhelpful diplomacy over Nigeria’s overwhelming deficits in governance, FIFA in its faithfulness and strictness to rule and order proved to Nigeria in particular and the world in general that sport administrators must conform to laid down rules. I would additionally suggest that FIFA adopt stricter rules in which affiliate managers of sports are tried on the offences alleged against them, and if found guilty, be adequately sanctioned to serve as deterrent to others.
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