Cliques that ruined Nigeria football regroup amid total take-over, rush to FIFA, says Gara-Gombe

Cliques that ruined Nigeria football regroup amid total take-over, rush to FIFA, says Gara-Gombe

Founder /Chairman Board of Trustee of Athletics and Other Sports Initiative Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe has warned stakeholders of cliques in government that destroyed the Nigeria football are at it again to completely take over the federation.

Speaking to Newsman in Lagos recently, the former Chairman of Gombe United Football club stated that individuals pretending to be reformers are presently in Zurich, Switzerland to brief FIFA on reasons the President of Nigeria football federation voluntarily resigned.

Gara-Gombe said, "It's unfortunate and sad that the rush to replace the Ibrahim Gusau led NFF Board has clearly started to point at motives behind it.

The motive behind it is never in the interest of Nigeria football and not in the National interest."

He insisted that, "Everyday, emerging issues have revealed that it's a calculated attempt to take over Nigeria for football by the same people that had largely contributed to its destruction.

The former Gombe FA Chairman noted that Shehu Dikko, Chairman National Sports Commission (NSC), Amaju Pinnick the so-called live President of Nigeria Football and of course, arguably the most corrupt past Nigeria Football President are regrouping, now they are bringing in A.U Mustapher, (SAN) to make him the head of the normalisation Committee.

"When I saw names of these people, Mustapher was their lawyer, they once took him to the Confederation Africa Football (CAF) as one of their arbitration committee members, and now they want to bring the same AU Mustapher to head the NFF normalisation Committee".

"They are cliques, the only new face is Hon. Bukola Olopade, Director General (NSC).

It's not as if Olopade is new, rather not too pronounced in the entire country"

Gara-Gombe emphasised that Olopade was a strong stakeholder in the South West back in his days as Sports Commissioner in Ogun State.

"My advice for Olopade is to distance himself from the group for the sake of his dignity."

He advised the government to be cautious of those parading as expert reformers, adding that, "If you want to reform Nigeria football, it's not these guys that would do it because, they are part of those that

destroyed it.

He avarred that, former NPFL Chairman Shehu Dikko and NFF vice president, if thoroughly investigated in his role when he was in-charge, he would definitely be in jail by now".

Gara-Gombe however spoke in defense of Gusau, saying that He didn't do anything that made them seek his downfall.

"We have many fantastic administrators, technical people within Nigeria and in the diaspora. Private individuals who own football clubs, in the media sector.

"If Nigeria is looking for those to reform its football, it's definitely not these guys, they are out of it, they can't reform anything. Rather, they are after selfish interest.

Another mistake Ibrahim Gusau led NFF made was to appoint former Flying Eagles coach Fanny Amun to head a panel that investigated Nigeria's abysmal performance in continental and world football tournaments.

When was Fanny Amun involved in football administration in and out of Nigeria?

Fanny Amun has been out of the system for a long time and I query why Ibrahim Gusau made the mistake of naming Amun to head that committee.

"Fanny Amun never like Gusau, and it showed when the panel submitted its report.

We know those that did the job and whose report will do nothing. I wasn't surprised when Fanny Amun became critical of Gusau's administration.

To consult before decisions are taken in public service is necessary. I am not too sure that the reform expected to happen in NFF will succeed, rather, it's Crisis that l see."

"Let's hear from FIFA and note what they would say as some people have compromised their position.

"The fact is that Nigeria football had passed this route before when they attempted to remove former NFF boss late Ibrahim Galadima.

The former sports Minister, Sambawa and the permanent secretary wanted to talk to FIFA and FIFA refused to listen to them.

Even Alhassan Yakmut who was the technical assistant to the minister wanted to talk to FIFA and FIFA said we only listen to Association scribe and the President.

It happened many times, that was what they did when they adopted Fanny Amun in Benue, everyone at that meeting saw Amun compromise.

"This is not new, however, the difference was that these cliques completely wiped out everybody in the secretariat including the NFF secretary general. Everyone knows it was a State induced resignation.

The question FIFA will ask these guys is where is the NFF President?

FIFA should be fair enough to listen to Ibrahim Gusau.

It happened last time, when FIFA refused to listen to government officials, they asked for the Congress.

When we came back to the Congress, the Congress wrote FIFA and they listened.

Four of us namely, myself, Amanze Uchegbulam, Amaju Pinnic and Heineken Lokpobiri were invited to a meeting in Cairo, Egypt to meet FIFA."

And I ask why was CAF sidelined in this matter, CAF should have met on the matter before FIFA.

Amaju Pinnick thought that his proximity to FIFA president infantino would give him an advantage and maybe to manipulate things, we shall see what will happen.

There are stories making the rounds that FIFA has accepted Gusau's resignation.

Again, FIFA has no legal right to accept the resignation of NFF President Gusau and his board, because FIFA didn't elect them into office.

Why are people behaving as if there is no NFF Congress?

It's actually the NFF Congress that elected and reserved the right to accept their resignation not FIFA.

I pray that someone won't go to prison because of these things.