By Paul Bassey
The Chairman Senate committee on Sports Senator Adamu Gumba has come out to defend the need for the NFF Bill 2011, saying failure to do that will lead to chaos and confusion.

Senator Gumba spoke at yesterday’s public hearing on the NFF Bill 2011 instituted by the House Committee on sports, held at the National Assembly, Abuja.

Responding to a submission by Dr Sam Sam Jaja that there was no need to promulgate a law to govern football since football can thrive on its own, Senator Gumba said this was dangerous and akin to inviting chaos into the running of football as was being witnessed presently.

Doctor Jaja who was a lone ranger calling for the complete autonomy of football advised that the nation’s football ruling body should go to the Corporate Affairs Commission get registered and do business as a private concern.

In his submission, Senator Gumba said even when government was trying to set a law to protect the organization of football, confusion was everywhere and wondered what will happen “….when it will be a free for all, when any one can just wake up and go and register a football body without the necessary control”

On the name NFF, Senator Gumba said there was nothing in a name and wanted Dr Jaja  to prove how name change can engender low productivity.

The assertion by Dr Jaja that only Nigeria out of all the English speaking countries in the Commonwealth was operating as a Federation was faulted when the Chairman of the House committee on sports Honourable Godfrey  Gaiya supplied superior information to the effect that Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Seychelles and Tanzania among others operated as Federations to which Dr Jaja stammered “ …perhaps this was changed yesterday….”

In his inaugural address Gaiya in an eloquent delivery said the bill has become necessary to stem the present state of litigation that has caused “…unnecessary distractions on and off the field causing dwindling performances.

Even as a parliament we also accept some of the blame for this position that is why we have risen this time around to address the issue in tandem with international best practices”

The first paper was presented by Dr Patrick Ekeji Director General of the National Sports Commission, who thanked the House Committee for the public seating and endorsed all that was in the bill without any modification. When it was the turn of the Nigeria Football Federation, President Maigari gave reasons why the Bill should be passed and then gave the NFF lawyer the podium to raise fundamental clause by clause defects in the bill that needed to be addressed.

Other speakers included Honourable Sanni Toro , Honourable Elegbeleye, former deputy chairman of the House Committee on sports and Honourable Chidi Okenwa Chairman Enugu FA who delivered a paper on behalf of the 36 state FA’s and Abuja.

The Public Hearing attracted the who’s who in sports including former sports minister and president of the NOC Alhaji Ndanusa, Sports Commissioners and Chairmen of State Football Associations, Dr. Bolaji Ojo Oba of the National Sports Commission, CAF General Coordinator Paul Bassey, Coach Stephen Keshi, Mainasara Iloh, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi, Mr Lumumba Ade, Board members and management of The NFF, Director general of the NIS, Mr Austin Popo, Athletics coach Gloria Obajimi and members of the media.