BY JACOB AJOM
The minister of sports and chairman of the National Sports Commission, Professor Taoheed Adedoja has restated government’s position in ensuring that football is run in the country according to its dictates.

Speaking in an interactive chat with sports writers in Lagos last week, the minister said that for as long as government continues to invest heavily in football in the country, it will be difficult for the establishment to fold its arms and watch things go bad.

“In other lands football is not funded by governments. But in Nigeria, football still get billions of Naira from the sweat of Nigerians. Even the Nigeria Football Federation is a government parastatal and as such government cannot fold its hands and watch things go haywire.”

The minister however disclosed that his ministry would limit the extent of influence it exerts on the football house. “We will limit our interference so that we don’t attract international sanctions from FIFA,” Adedoja said, emphasising that, “we are going to do things in the best interest of this country.”

He frowned at the practice of stake-holders resorting to taking football matters to civil courts saying, “the civil courts are not the place to take football matters to.”

While declining to speak further on issues concerning Nigeria football, the minister said he had called for memos from all federations on problems bothering them, particularly on disputes arising from federation elections, concession of some sports federations and various pending court cases on football matters.

“Very soon such problems as election disputes will be dealt with. I have called for stakeholders meeting where all the issues will be sorted out so that preparations for the all Africa Games can commence without distractions.”