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The legendary in-fighting for the control of the Nigeria Football Federation has again pushed Nigeria on the edge of another FIFA ban, but for President Jonathan’s timely intervention to reconcile warring parties
| By Olu Ojewale | Nov. 10, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT |
CELEBRATION was in the air. The Super Falcons had just won the African Women’s Championship by beating Cameroon 2-0, in the event hosted by Namibia on Sunday, October 26. But while Nigerians were still celebrating another remarkable achievement of the Falconets, who had just won the tournament for a record seven times, the euphoria was punctured by yet another threat by the Federation Internationade Football Association, FIFA, to suspend Nigeria from all football as from Monday, October 27.
It was the FIFA’s reaction to the court judgement obtained by Chris Giwa-led group at the Jos high court on Thursday, October 23, which invalidated the election Amaju Pinnick-led Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, board which took over the reign of the federation September 30, this year.
In a swift reaction, Pinnick’s faction instituted and got a stay of execution order as the case was also slated for hearing on Wednesday, October 29. The FIFA and Confederation of African Football, CAF, have already recognised and aligned with the Pinnick-led faction and even sent congratulatory messages to him on his election.
To many followers of events at the Glass House, administrative headquarters of the NFF, the twist should not be a surprise. This is because since the end of World Cup in Brazil in July, Glass House, as the administrative headquarters of the football organisation is fondly called, has expectedly remained engulfed in power tussle. Past experiences have shown that this is usually the case every four years especially when Nigeria participated in the World Cup tournament.
The current crisis is centred on the disputed election of the current leadership of the federation. As usual, and perhaps, for the umpteenth time, Nigeria was again threatened with sanctions by the FIFA. Mercifully, the world football governing body rescinded its earlier threats to start the sanction from Monday and gave the NFF until Friday, October 31, to resolve the crisis or face a lengthy ban from all the FIFA recognised football activities for the next seven months.
In a letter addressed to Pinnick, who was elected as the president of the NFF at the September 30, elections in Warri, Delta State, Jerome Valcke, secretary general of the FIFA, said that the world football body extended the grace period for Nigeria to enable it to avoid a lengthy ban. “This gives Nigeria football a last opportunity to avoid a lengthy suspension. We inform you that if by Friday 31 October, 2014, at midday Nigerian time we have not received proof that the case (the Jos Federal High Court ruling that sacked the Pinnick led NFF board) has been definitively withdrawn from court and that the board elected on 30 September, 2014, is able to carry out its activities without any hindrance, we will refer the case to the FIFA Emergency Committee for implementation of the suspension,” the FIFA’s letter said in part.
The FIFA said that it was aware of the order granted by the federal high court in Jos nullifying the NFF elections of September 30, and the fact that some persons claiming to have been legitimately elected previously went to occupy the offices of the NFF, thereby causing great confusion among the administrative staff. “We also note that security forces prevented you (Pinnick) from travelling to Namibia, where you were supposed to represent the NFF at the final match of the African Women’s Championship. As stated in our previous letters dated 9 September, 2014 and 2 October, 2014, FIFA stressed that should the electoral process and the instalment of the newly elected NFF board be affected by any interference, the case would be brought to the attention of the appropriate FIFA bodies for a suspension of the NFF until the next FIFA Congress due to take place on 28 and 29 May, 2015,” the letter further warned.
The world body insisted that the activities of those parading themselves as factional NFF board members clearly showed that interference had not ceased in the administration of Nigerian football. It also warned of the dire consequences a suspension could have on Nigerian football. The FIFA said that it would, for instance, mean that no category of team from Nigeria, including club teams, would have any international sporting contact as prescribed by article 14 paragraph 3 of the FIFA Statutes.
Besides, it would also mean that neither the NFF nor any of its members or officials could benefit from any development programmes, courses or training from the FIFA or the Confederation of African Football, CAF, any longer.
Apparently disturbed by the turn of events at the Glass House, President Goodluck Jonathan had a meeting with Pinnick and Giwa on Wednesday in Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja. At the meeting, Jonathan was able to prevail on warring sides to withdraw their law suits and recall Stephen Keshi, coach of Super Eagles to continue his work.
Similarly concerned about the effects of the bizarre show of shame in the Nigerian football, Tammy Danagogo, sports minister, quickly met with both Pinnick and Giwa in Abuja, on Tuesday and directed all the parties in the dispute to withdraw their cases from courts in the interest of the game and country. Danagogo said that this had become necessary as it was the only way for a smooth administration of football and to avoid constant confrontation with the FIFA.
In his appeal, the minister said there was need for them to make sacrifices in the spirit of give and take, stressing that he or the National Sports Commission as a body could not stop individuals from going to court nor stop the courts from hearing cases brought before it except to persuade them to do so.
He, therefore, called on Nigerians and all sports lovers to prevail on the warring sides to withdraw their cases and settle amicably. “I am calling on Nigerians to prevail on the factions in the NFF crisis to come to a round table and discuss the way forward. I have met with them and have told them to make peace by making sacrifices. They should withdraw the cases they have in court as that is the only way we can avoid the threats of FIFA ban… What we advise is for matters of this nature to be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sports, CAS, which is the right body to hear such cases so that we avoid the threats of FIFA ban all the time,” Danagogo said.
In their response, both Pinnick and Giwa promised to reach out to their groups to consult and return to the minister later on Wednesday, October 29, with their resolutions.
Also irked by the development, David Mark, president of the Senate, once again, asked the NFF to resolve its crisis in the interest of the country and the sports loving Nigerians. Mark, who made the appeal at the opening session of the Senate plenary on Tuesday, October 28, said that all those involved in the crisis rocking the football house should sheath their sword and place the country first. He noted that resolution of the NFF crisis had become even more urgent in view of the FIFA threat looming over the country. “FIFA is threatening to ban us, we must not allow that to happen. Those involved should resolve their crisis and put the nation first in all they do,” Mark said.
But whether the warring sides would allow peace to return is the major concern of several Nigerians who are keenly monitoring events at the NFF. The federal high court in Jos was due to give another judgement in respect of the case. The ruling would determine in which direction the matter may eventually go.
But based on the judgement of Thursday, October 23, Giwa had on Monday, October 27, led his team to the NFF Secretariat to inaugurate their various committees. However, on getting to the secretariat he could not gain entrance because the main entrance and other offices were locked.
Speaking to journalists, Giwa stated that all decisions taken by Pinnick and his executive committee should be disregarded as Stephen Keshi, who was relieved of his post as coach of the Super Eagles, still remained the Eagles coach. “Like I said a few days back, it’s not about Keshi or Amodu. It’s an issue for Nigeria to qualify. I think all that Keshi needs is our support,” Giwa told supersport.com
“We have two games to go for us now. If you tell the person that started the process to go now, whoever you’re bringing in I’m not sure he has anything to contribute. All we need to do now is to see how we are going to support our dear brother Keshi and pray that we win our remaining two matches. The best thing Nigeria need from us now (his faction) is to see Nigeria play at the Cup of Nations,” he added.
Giwa also reiterated that all the committees set up by the Amaju Pinnick faction should not be accepted by Nigerians, citing the post of the media officer of the Super Eagles. “Tony or Toyin is not the media officer of the Super Eagles. In our last board meeting, we all agreed that the technical crew headed by Stephen Keshi remain in charge,” Giwa said, adding: “Any release coming from somewhere should not be accepted by Nigerians.”
Giwa’s action may just end as a mere posturing because the FIFA does not like the use of the conventional court to settle disputes. It prefers its own Court Of Arbitration on Sports. Therefore, it is mandatory that all affiliates of the FIFA are to abide by the rules and regulations otherwise the offending country faces sanction. Nigeria has repeatedly flouted the FIFA rules, which has put it at loggerheads with the world football body many times.
The Jos high court ruling of Thursday, October 23, was said to have so infuriated executive members of the FIFA which held an emergency meeting in Namibia, and decided to ban Nigeria just before Falcons won the African title in Namibia on Saturday, October 25. The FIFA members were also aggravated when they learnt that security men stopped Pinnick from travelling to Namibia, for the final of Africa’s Women Football Championship which Nigeria won.
According to sources, it was the timely arrival of Danagogo in Namibia, to watch the women’s final that saved the nation from the embarrassment that would have resulted if FIFA had prevented Falconets from playing the final that day. It was the minister that also pleaded with Issa Hayatou, president of CAF, to intervene on behalf of Nigeria.
In any case, the FIFA was not going to allow Nigeria to get away with a slap on the wrist. This was captured by Ademola Olajire, NFF head of media, in a statement released on Sunday, October 26. He said Hayatou, president of CAF, had to plead with Sepp Blatter, FIFA president, to mellow down because of the African Women Championship final between Nigeria and Cameroon, which the country won 2-0 to reclaim the title. According to Olajire, on Saturday in Windhoek, Namibia, Hayatou told Danagogo in “clear terms that the world was fed up with Nigeria’s incorrigibility in the area of football administration.” He further quoted the CAF president as saying: “I had to plead passionately with FIFA President, Mr. Sepp Blatter, not to take action on Nigeria on Friday, because Nigeria was in the final of the African Women Championship and a ban on your country would have been bad for the competition and our sponsors. We all heard the news of the court ruling on Thursday, and the football world is angry with Nigeria. That is the truth.
“The FIFA letter that came to your Federation before the elections of September 30, was very clear about an automatic suspension should there be any interference with the political process, and after the elections went ahead, we all thought you had settled your issues.”
The CAF president said he personally pleaded for Nigeria to be given until Monday, October 27, to put its act together. “After that, there is absolutely nothing I can do. It is all very disappointing because we have over 50 National Associations in Africa, but a big country like Nigeria is the one always giving us the biggest headache. Nigeria signed to be part of the football world by joining FIFA, and opted to abide by the FIFA –approved Statutes that you have. How many times do we have to tell your country that football matters are not taken to civil courts? If Nigeria no longer wants to be part of the football world, then so be it,” Hayatou said.
Corroborating Hayatou’s statement, Paul Bassey, sports analyst and CAF committee member, who interpreted for Nigerian officials, said that the world football body was very serious about its plan to ban Nigeria and if not for a meeting in which Nigerian delegates and Hayatou were able to prevail over Blatter. He said the immediate ban would have had a devastating effect on Nigeria. He warned: “If we’re banned this week, our U-17 will not play this weekend, on the 19th of July which is this weekend there will be a draw in Windhoek, Namibia, for the Africa women championship. Nigeria will be thrown out of the draw, four major competitions that will spill over till next year. The Super Eagles, the U-17, the Africa women championship all these ones are happening in next two weeks and we will lose out. We cannot even play friendly match.” Bassey said.
He said there was no need for the court action embarked upon by the Giwa faction because it was illegitimate as far as the FIFA is concerned. Besides, he said the outcome of the hearing was not binding on the FIFA and shouldn’t have been in the first instance. “The court is not binding, what the FIFA is saying is that whatever court order you do is not binding on the football federation. Even going to court to vacate the order is illegitimate,” he said. Bassey said the only way out of the ban would be to allow Pinnick and his elected board to continue in office.
Indeed, the FIFA has warned that it would be forced to refer the case to its emergency committee for implementation of the suspension if Nigeria did not comply by midday October 31. It further warned that should the suspension be applied, FIFA said that the case would not be considered until the next FIFA congress slated for May 28 and 29, next year. This means that no team from Nigeria would have any international sporting contact until then.
The implications of the ban are many if it is allowed to hold. First, Super Eagles qualification matches for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations will be halted and Golden Eaglets’ participation in the African Championship to be eligible to travel to Chile to defend their world title next year will be denied.
As recent as July 9, Nigeria was suspended by the FIFA over government interference with the administration of the NFF. The decision to suspend the NFF followed a letter sent by the FIFA to the NFF on July 4, 2014 in which it expressed its great concern after the Nigerian federation was served with court proceedings and consequently an order preventing Aminu Maigari, president of the NFF, the NFF executive committee members and the NFF congress from running the affairs of Nigerian football was granted by a Nigerian high court. It noted that the said court order also compelled the Nigerian sports minister to appoint a senior member of the civil service to manage the NFF until the matter was heard in court, without giving any date for such a hearing. In line with the court order, the minister then appointed a person who decided to hold an extraordinary general assembly on July 5, 2014. The extraordinary general assembly, it was noted, was convened in violation of the NFF statutes. Besides, the then outgoing NFF executive had originally planned for an elective congress to take place on August 26, 2014.
The ban was lifted on July 18, after the Maigari board was re-instated and the court actions were withdrawn. The election which ushered in the Giwa-led faction of the NFF was held on September 29, but without any input or the supervision of the outgoing executive of Maigari. And in its reaction, the FIFA said it did not recognise the election until the one that the input and supervised by the Maigari-led executive was held on September 30, and won by Pinnick.
The Nigerian government similarly invoked the wrath of the FIFA when on Monday, October 4, 2010, FIFA announced that the country had been banned from all levels of football until the elected board of the NFF was allowed to function without government interference. Earlier in July of the same year 2010, Nigeria had provoked the world football body when President Jonathan announced the suspension of Nigeria from all football activities because of its poor performance at World Cup 2010 when the country finished bottom of Group B with just one point.
The decision provoked a strong reaction from the FIFA which ordered a reversal or it would withdrawal its financial help and stop Nigerian referees from officiating in international matches and its clubs from partaking in African club competitions. This forced the Jonathan administration to rescind its decision.
In 1996, the CAF banned the country for two editions of the African Cup Nations after the late General Sani Abacha government, for political reasons, withdrew the Nigerian team from participating in the tournament which held in South Africa that year. At the time, there had been the war of words between Abacha and the late President Nelson Mandela of South Africa over the situation in Nigeria, forcing Nigeria to withdraw from the tournament being staged in South Africa. The withdrawal not only robbed the Nigerian Super Eagles of the chance to defend the title they won in 1994, the nation did not return to continental competitions until after six years, that was in the 2000.
As if that was not bad enough, it was the time that Nigeria had just finished serving out a two-year FIFA ban for age-group competitions, following the discovery of discrepancies in the ages of some of the players who represented Nigeria in such tournaments. In 1989 Nigeria’s youth national teams were banned by FIFA for fielding over-age players in its organised youth tournaments. The football organising body discovered the disparity in the birth dates of three players at the 1988 Olympics as against the ones used by the same players at previous tournaments. The resulting ban lasted for two years and Nigeria was also stripped of its right to host the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship.
Nigerians are worried over the current imbroglio in the Glass House. Victor Ikpeba, a former Nigerian player, appealed to the sports minister to be firm in order to save Nigeria’s football. He claimed that Giwa, the man who took football matter to court, did not care about Nigeria’s football otherwise he would have respected the full congress that elected the Pinnick board.
Also, Suleiman Ishaku, a public commentator, said: “Christ Giwa and his cohort shouldn’t think that they can hold Nigerian football house to ransom because of their selfish ambition. This Kangaroo judgment he keep on getting from his associate justice is just making Nigerians laughing stock in the comity of footballing nations. FIFA, the highest football governing body in the world, has said it clearly that Giwa and his cohorts would not be recognised as Nigerian representative in any of its event. Yet, this football jobber keeps on taking steps that would negate all the achievements in our sport in the recent past.”
However, Matthew Edafe, sports analyst with Brila Radio, said the NFF would need to have a structured and legislative framework that would define how to get into the federation. Besides, he said: “let us stop taking congresses to states. A lot of people believe that if the congress was not taking to Warri, for instance, Pinnick couldn’t have won the election. We should do our congress in Abuja. The NFF should have a house where they can hold congress or they should be paying for hotels, and stop allowing state governors to sponsor it. If a state governor sponsors it you will do whatever the governor want.” (See Cover Box)
In his weekly column on October 2, Segun Odegbami while congratulating Pinnick on his election triumph, had warned that the new NFF president would have his hands full of serious and complicated issues to deal with to stabilise himself in office. “He would need all his wits, human relations and acute political, legal and administrative skills to successfully manoeuvre through the minefields that lie ahead…Somehow, he would have to find a way to stop the challenges still in court,” Odegbami wrote.
He noted that that unless the statutes of the NFF were amended to accommodate all stakeholders on an equal representation basis as directed by the FIFA years ago in their letter to the Sani Lulu board, “and are designed in such a way that every election is held with all contestants on a level playing field, and is not driven by vaulting ambition that introduces special rules from outside the statutes, in four years’ time Nigerians should expect a repeat of what we have all just experienced.”
Calvin Emeka Onwuka, a newspaper columnist, said that Nigerian football had been largely run by people with very little interest in the development and progress of the sport, with exception of a handful such the late Tony Ikhazobor, the late Patrick Okpomo and Yusuf Alli when they were in of the NFF. “These men worked tirelessly and clearly with good intentions to make the national teams successful and a thriving national football league,” he recalled. But now, Onwuka said people were going there for the money. “Football is awash with money. A forensic accountant friend of mine once said to me that wherever there is a lot of money available there is bound to be corruption/fraud if not properly managed and watched closely. Well, therein lies the biggest problem with football in the third world and with Nigerian football. The battle to take control of the NFF had absolutely nothing to do with the desire to serve the country but rather to be in control of this cash cow. There is no other way for me to coat it.
“I was in Brazil when the bonus row erupted before the round of 16 match with France. The players were rightly unimpressed by the NFF board asking them to wait till FIFA paid the board. The players were aware that the federal government had released the entire funds for the prosecution of the tournament. They also knew that the NFF board had paid for the trip to Brazil for a whole assortment of people who were not involved in the playing side of the tournament. Therefore, they were not in the mood to be told to wait and, in my view, rightly so. That bonus row set in motion the chain of events that led to the impeachment process of Maigari and the rest is history,” he said.
Aisha Falode, a CAF media committee member, who spoke from Windhoek on Sunday, October 26, said it was obvious the Nigerian government would now have to intervene to avoid the FIFA hammer falling on Nigeria football. “The future of millions of Nigerian youth is being put at risk by some persons who feel they have nothing to lose in the case of a FIFA ban. It is now for the government to wade in. If we get suspended from international football now, FIFA will not revisit the matter until their 65th Congress on May 29, 2015. That would be too bad for our country’s football,” Falode said.
Whether that is allowed to happen or not, it is obvious that Nigeria is not a stranger to FIFA ban. A series of collision with the world football body in the past had been avoidable and very unpalatable for the country.
So, will government and well-meaning Nigerians fold hands and let some ambitious individuals to destroy one of factors that unite the country go asunder? For now, nobody seems to be sure, but to hope. But then, such hope has an expiry date because if the matter is not settled by midday October 31, the nation’s football activities would in a coma for at least another seven months.
Reported by Anayo Ezugwu
— Nov. 10, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT
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Cover Box
Matthew Edafe, sports analyst with Brila FM, Lagos, speaks to Anayo Ezugwu, on the crisis rocking Nigeria Football Federation
Realnews: What do you think about the current development in the NFF?
Edafe: I think the problem with the NFF is something that has been there for a very long time. It did not start today. So, overtime, everybody wants to become the president of the NFF or those who called themselves stakeholders and they know that the only way to get there is through violence and illegality. That’s basically why we keep on having this kind of problem. If you really want to know the truth you have to go back to when Austin Fuston came to Nigeria in 2006 to tick out Ibrahim Galadima and install Sani Lulu, through a FIFA organised coup. And then, after that another palace coup took out Lulu and brought in Aminu Magari in 201. Now we have the Giwa faction and Pinnick faction. I believe it will come to an end either by the end of today or tomorrow. Naturally it shouldn’t be so but then the leadership of Nigerian football is not so much about who is interested in what they want to do to improve football in the country. It is more about who is interested in the finances in the coffer. Let’s pause a bit and think. How come nobody is fighting about the Nigeria Basketball Federation? If naturally Nigerians love sports, how come the same love is not be extended to tennis, basketball and other sports federation? The truth of the matter is that FIFA grant and the money federal government allocate to football every month is the reason why they are fighting. People just want to be relevant, important and associate themselves with success, to be called on occasions as former NFF president when Nigeria won the nations cup or the female team and the under 17 won one success or the other. That is what people do. Looking at it from another angle, Giwa is the president of a football club, where in the world will a see the president or owner of a football club struggling to become a football association president. They won’t do that because a football club is a bigger brand. Why are they all running after the football association? If the football is so good at the centre, how come they are not fixing it at the state level? How come people are not crazy in taking over at the state level? You will see that there is more to it than football. There is something they are after that is not football connected. I just hope we will get it right someday.
Realnews: Do you think that if government stops supporting football all these crises will end?
Edafe: I do believe that if government stops supporting the NFF the crisis will stop because you know that you are going there and you will only succeed if you have enough crowd within the private sector to pull in funds. And if you don’t have it the FA you will be running will feel it and Nigerians will stone you out of office. So people will no longer be as committed to go there. When you hear that one person spend close to N500 million to win election into the NFF, you need to ask yourself why any investor who has N500 million, would not want to invest it into something better than going into the NFF. Whoever that is in his right sense that will spend N500 million just to go and serve, serve what?
Realnews: Apart from the financial aspect of this crisis, what else do you think the NFF is not doing right?
Edafe: First and foremost, it is not the NFF. I think it goes out even to the Senate. If the Senate can abolish fully the decree 101 that set up the Nigeria Football Association, NFA, and then enact a legislation that will officially bring the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, into law. Then we will have a statue that can be respected by competitors. But unfortunately in Nigeria people bend the rules to favour their party that will cover all the illegalities they perpetrated while in office, knowing that if the other party comes into power it will probe them. We should make the NFF less-lucrative. People come into the NFF very broke and leave as super rich, that is problem. Nobody becomes a billionaire in four years but in NFF when you become the president, in four years’ time you are close to becoming a billionaire. We can structure accountability and let government declare how much they are giving the NFF every month and let the NFF tell us what they are getting from the sponsors and the FIFA grant. We have played a lot of international friendly matches and we don’t know how much that comes out of it, so there is a problem with that.
Realnews: What is the way out?
Edafe: I think the way out, first and foremost, is to let us have a structure and legislative framework that defines how to get into the NFF and how to be voted in and voted out. And let us stop taking congresses to states. A lot of people believe that if the congress was not taking to Warri for instance, Pinnick couldn’t have won the election. We should do our congress in Abuja. The NFF should have a house where they can hold congress or they should be paying for hotels, not state governors sponsoring it. If a state governor sponsors it you will do whatever the governor want.
— Nov. 10, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT
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