• Ready to work with FIFA/Interpol
An appointee of the committee to oversee match-fixing investigation matters in Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Chris Emeruwa, has said he is equal to the responsibility on his shoulders.
NFF has, in line with recent trend by the world football governing body, Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), appointed its officials into the post of integrity officer and match-fixing investigative officer.
Aminu Maigari
This is to help straighten the war against match-fixing in football, which has eaten deep into the fabrics of the system.
Nigeria, reportedly among the top corrupt nations of the world, has its sports sector enmeshed in corruption allegations.
In an interactive section with TheNiche in Abuja, Emeruwa, highlighted some of the issues that gave rise to the establishment of the committee and the readiness of his office to confront the arduous challenges therein.
According to him, the NFF match-fixing and integrity committee was a brainchild of the FIFA-organised workshop/seminar, held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, between April 10 and 11 this year.
This, however, is an ideology between FIFA and the Interpol, to establish a single-point contact to the entire world on the issues of corruption in football.
He stressed that much of the issues discussed related to match-fixing in football and how to report it across the globe, investigate it and ensure that offenders are brought to the appropriate authority for justice.
Dr. Emeruwa, a principal sports officer in the NFF further stated that this will serve as an interface between NFF, FIFA, Interpol, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), the Department of State Services(DSS) and other relevant security agencies as far as war against crime and criminality is concerned.
He revealed that part of his mandate is to conduct seminars on the related issues for Nigerians, train officials, investigate where necessary as well as to re-organise, re-access and report such cases.
“We have written to all our affiliates and had alerted them of the move, and by now we are sure all are aware of the current development. By this new arrangement, we will be able to prosecute those found wanting,” he said.
He believed that with this new arrangement, football can be played without the unpredictable nature of Nigeria.
“We will do it with the security agencies, to enable us open a new criminal angle the offenders can now face as embedded in the Nigerian constitution, which means that offenders can face double-header punishments,” he said.
On the challenges inherent in unfavourable environment, he re-assured that the seminar and workshop organised by FIFA in Abidjan, in which he participated, had given him this enabler to face all challenges coming from any club, no matter who owns it.
Along with him to work as the integrity officer is Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, who is a senior principal officer and a doctorate degree holder in sports management.