By Ben Efe

Shambolic Nigeria Football Federation who can save it from the army of jobbers often foisted upon it by highly placed ‘interests’ in the corridors of powers?

On September 30 in Warri Delta State, the elective congress of the NFF will vote for a new president that will chart a new course for the troubled football ruling body, that is if a Jos high court injunction filed by NFF president for seven days, Chris Giwa  does not hold water.

The list of individuals who are vying for the position, truth must be told do not offer any hope that salvation is near. Over the years, some of these men have licentiously carried on running or may be perhaps ruining the country’s football fortunes; the major focus of course for them is the multi-million dollar steady stream of cash flow from the governments at all level, corporate sources and the grants coming from the world soccer-governing body FIFA.

Grassroots football development, the national leagues for both men and women, the national teams, players and coaches’ welfare, football supporters and other related industries maintain a back seat, while the tussle for power and who controls the cash continue to be the order of the day.

The good thing is that Nigeria is a member of FIFA, which in no small measure upholds the rules of the game. And so some of the shenanigans indulged upon by the country’s football administrators are choked out by statues governing international football otherwise by now, the NFF would have totally degenerated to the level of gangsterism.

The role played by the Sports ministry officials in these entire rumpuses is nothing to holla about. They even stoke the fire ofabsurdity burning in the football ruling house. Minister after Minister have come with their own idea of how and who should administer the game, but at the end the day, they have always left sour grapes in the belly of genuine and conscientious football people who are keen to see the sport grow.

Agreed that football cannot do without governing funding, but in developed countries including some African nations, football leans more towards private/public participation, unlike in Nigeria where those in charge solely rely on government funds. They do this because government funds are easy to come by. Naive politicians who believe that football is a political means to score cheap points, easily deep hands into government coffers and dole out huge sums. This has been the trend in modern day NigeriaN football.

Teeming lovers of the game in Nigeria want to see a thriving football federation. They want to see more of the players and coaches who are the major actors. Without them there will be no football.

The football juggernauts, the sycophantic followers and the charlatans should all retreat to the background and people with genuine intentions come in and think of ways the NFF could stand on its own. Nigeria football can depend less on government funding exactly the way it did when the association was first started by people who were only driven by passion.

Football stood firmly on its till the 1970’s when the government of Yakubu Gowan thought it humiliating for Nigerian football officials to go cap in hand to the public sourcing for funds to prosecute their programmes. Even at that the man who brought government into the fray, late General Henry Adefope meant well.

There was a relative concordance between government and football administrators, not until corrupt and inept politicians began to find their way into all spheres of governance in the 1980s. This malady has taken a monstrous proportion; and a new craze has been added: “IMPUNITY”.

This perhaps was why a Plateau high court could declared an injunction restraining the executive committee of the NFF under Aminu Maigari from functioning. As if that was not enough, the state security service was used to harass football officials.

Maigari himself is a beneficiary of government interference in football; he was enthroned after Sanni Lulu was chased away following the debacle at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Lulu with no football antecedents was planted at the NFF after Ibrahim Galadima was forced out by the hawks.

Maigari should have known that those calling the shots in government operate like Beelzebub, they use and dump. Maigari should have quietly resigned when it came to him that his time was up. Maigari hiding under FIFA umbrella refused to see the hand writing on the wall and he got Mike Umeh started.

If only the NFF was another Adamawa State, Umeh like a certain Umaru Fintiri will be counting the chickens by now.
It will be a thing of joy, if the congress in Warri can put a stop to all these embarrassing moments for the country’s football.

Respectable and passionate individuals ought to run the NFF and not people who are out for their pockets. People who deny players and coaches their sign-on fees, people who have no clue, but because they wine and dine with political heavy-weights, they feel they have what it takes to run football.

However, some of the gladiators for the top seat of the NFF have been talking and football enthusiasts are asking, who among these men can rescue Nigerian football and make it a global brand? Tough questions it seems; looking at the names vying for the post we wait and wonder if there will be any change.

Taiwo Ogunjobi for four years loomed large as the NFF secretary-general? He was accused of misappropriating funds along side Mr. Lulu and Amanze Uchegbulam. The three musketeers as they were called when they held sway at the NFF from 1996-2010. He said he wants to bring peace and development into Nigeria football. For sure he is experienced and good at fixing things, but what about the credibility crisis rumbling in his breast pocket?

Pinnick Amaju declared that he is the man to beat in the election. He provoked a round of amusement, when he stated that his priority is to get Nigerian referees to officiate at the world cup. He couldn’t get Warri Wolves the club he presided over for up seven years, into the final of the Caf Confederation Cup or even guide the club to a domestic title.

For a man, who has a ‘P. Diddy’ kind of swag, how he hopes to reason with stakeholders and ordinary football loving Nigerians remains to be seen.There is also Shehu Dikko who became so popular because of his marketing deals with the Nigeria football league body.

A lot of money changed hands, a lot of questions where asked, but there were no answers.
Kano Pillars reached the semi-final of the CAF champions league. But when Abba Yola, became chairman they failed to reach the league stage.

Now according to Yola, who was a former top shot of the sports ministry, he has all it takes to make football work having got first hand knowledge, while at the NSC.

Dormic Iorfa does not talk much, but he is full of action. An ex-international, he played in the European league and he coached Lobi Stars with some excellent results. Iorfa, often times has lamented about the low level of football administration in the country.

He could offer something, but does he have the clout and the financial muscle to upstage those who are fully loaded?
It is not clear the intention of the sports ministry yet. But whatever might be the case, Nigerians are hopeful that a new era of football will be ushered in. An era of fewer rancors; more purposeful leadership and heartwarming results from the field of soccer contest.