By Prof  Emmanuel Ojeme

When the Lulu-led regime of the Nigeria Football Federation ended and a new one emerged, there was the huge expectation that the new Football Federation would bring a further improvement in the development of football in Nigeria . It is, still early in the life of this Maigari-led Federation, to assess its performance.

It is at the same time, appropriate to check on which side of the Federation, the pendulum of performance and character of the NFF is swinging. Why is this necessary? First a critical assessment of the Federations’ character and performance would help it undertake necessary positive adjustment. Secondly, this organization is a public establishment, doing things in the name of Nigeria and hence, on behalf of all of us. It’s good or bad work affects us positively or negatively.

This is the second time I am making a public statement on the NFF since it came on board. First, I did an analysis of its Technical Committee and thought that it is pacifying in composition with a Barrister at the helm. It is also based on the philosophy of exaltation of retired footballers. Fair enough, but the NFF must also know that a sports technical committee is not just about saturating the camp with persons with football playing experience only. There are sports scientists of different sub-disciplines that can be of strategic relevance to the Federation.

Aminu Maigari

Which way is the pendulum swinging? As we have seen, there seems to be a leftward swing of the pendulum of performance and this Federation must sit up immediately to steady the ship of football in Nigeria. We can justify this position by reference to some recent events:
Super Falcons Trip to Germany

You will recall that soon after the Falcons returned from South Africa, where they emerged as champions of the AWC, they were whisked away to Germany at the peak of the European winter and the team was bashed 8 – 0. Coming from a huge competition and celebrating its victory, without any form of recovery and elimination of fatigue, it was not the right decision to have gone to compete with the German World Champions. So, where was the technical committee in this process?

Obama Cup
It is not good for our image to have taken a whole national team to a competition in which most of the participating teams were absent for inappropriate arrangement. Without guarantees, maybe, of the certainty of this competition, we attended. I thought that the media or public affairs department needed to apologize to the Nigerian public.

Galadima’s Aspiration to CAF Seat
Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima, a citizen of Nigeria, rightly aspired to the CAF Executive Committee membership but unfortunately failed. I hope the NFF and the nation, particularly football administrators, have learnt the needed lessons. Galadima lost mainly because we may not have fully understood the politics, intrigue and hegemony of the organization known as CAF. To the best of my knowledge, Isa Hayatou could not have backed the ascendancy of another Nigerian with the perpetual fear he had over the potential Amos Adamu had to be his successor. I cannot rule out the possible connivance of Isa Hayatou in disstabilising Adamu to ease the pressure off his shoulders. Although paradoxically, he was quoted to have said he was tired of the CAF leadership. Isa Hayatou may at the same time be discretely scheming for a Franco-phone CAF official to succeed him.

I dare say that many of us may not have realised that Amos Adamu may have been a victim of the high density politics of CAF and FIFA. Many Nigerians have made very negative and uncomplimentary views about this episode. But how many people bothered to dig deep to check on this unethical and mischievous interview?

The NFF must take responsibility for this abysmal performance of Galadima and must now endeavour to understand the high voltage politics of football governing bodies. It needed some discrete technical guidance by people who have been in the political game of international football governance. The NFF must come to terms with the fact that international football and its governance is high wire politics. It is just more than sporting event.

It is not enough to win local elections and gain ascendancy to the Federation. It needs strategic thinking and a lot of brain work. The NFF must take this aspect seriously and also always remember that its activities are denominated in the name of Nigeria , the giant of Africa. The pendulum must always swing to the right. This is the challenge of Nigeria Football Federation.