Nigeria has, again, escaped FIFA hammer. But stakeholders allege that the world football governing body is part of the problems of the Glass House.
Nigeria has avoided a looming FIFA axe after the group led by Ambassador Chris Giwa opted to discontinue its case at the Federal High Court, Jos, Plateau State, last Thursday.
The move has effectively killed off the court case and means that the Amaju Pinnick-led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Executive Committee can continue to administer football in Nigeria without any interference – the demand made by FIFA in its letter of Tuesday, October 28.
The country has, therefore, again beaten FIFA’s deadline of banning the country from all football matters.
However, some stakeholders have linked the incessant crises in the Glass House to the roles played by world football governing body leadership in the past.
One of the stakeholders, Godwin Dudu-Orumen, said confidently that FIFA has no more moral right to ban Nigeria.
He said: “FIFA can’t ban Nigeria because it is itself guilty of complicity in the crisis which has its roots in the 2006 NFF Makurdi Congress.
“FlFA’s meddlesomeness in local football politics makes it inequitable for it to impose a ban. That is why it keeps shifting the ‘ban’ date, hoping for a face-saving local resolution.
“FlFA chieftains at the time, Mr. Urs Linsey, the Secretary-General, relocated his office to Makurdi to supervise the coup that took out lbrahim Galadima’s NFA board and installed Sani Lulu’s board, which was itself overthrown by another coup that brought in Aminu Maigari who also fell to a counter-coup. That is how our football has been subverted with the active connivance of FIFA’s shameless and corrupt goons.”
For Abba Yola, a sovereign nation that should take its fate in its hand has become FIFA’s play thing.
“In 2009, FIFA was at the forefront of telling us who to appoint as executive officers of the World Cup we hosted. The consequence will soon come to light. If we don’t take care, FIFA will be the organisation to determine who leads our football for the next four years. God bless our country,” he said.
Former Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Austin Mgbolu, said: “The problem is that truth hurts badly in this clime. I know that, henceforth, some selfish colleagues will call us names for speaking up now, simply because they are profiting heavily from the crisis and acting as intermediaries and harbingers of perpetual evil news of possible FIFA ban on the nation, should we cough loudly.
“The truth is that the threat hangs over our nation like the sword of Damocles and they cleverly exploit same to cow our government to quiver and genuflect before the almighty FIFA like people from the land of the blind.
“I pray that we will be permanently liberated soon from these shameless tactics that has become a permanent feature in our football calendar.”
President Goodluck Jonathan’s latest glorious move was to call a truce meeting involving leading figures in Nigerian football last Wednesday, which effectively led to the resolution of a leadership crisis that threatened the very soul of the round leather game in the country.
Also, he has reportedly ordered the reinstatement of sacked Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi.
NFF boss, Pinnick, has thus commended the efforts of Vice President, Namadi Sambo; Secretary to Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo; Ambassador Chris Giwa and others who played roles in slaking the leadership flame.