Crises In Our Football: Enough Is Enough

Last Friday, the murky waters of football administration in Nigeria was stirred by yet another pebble when an Abuja High Court ordered both the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, and its affiliate, the Nigeria Premier League, NPL to stop functioning henceforth.

In the ruling which lasted about three hours, the court, presided over by Justice Donatus Okorowo, declared the statutes of the world football governing, FIFA which both bodies operate with, illegal and cannot have the force of law within Nigeria.

The High Court judgment was based on the case brought before it two years ago by Dr Sam Sam Jaja, former President of the Nigeria Referees Association, NRA, challenging his disqualification from the NPL election won by Davidson Owumi, who was also toppled by Victor Baribote, the current NPL Chairman by another court.

The High Court judge who granted all the 10 reliefs sought by Dr Jaja said the NFF was not known to Nigerian laws, noting that the only legal instrument by which football is administered in the country remains the Nigeria Football Association Act CAP 2004 as amended.

But in a swift reaction, the NFF said through its acting Secretary General, Barrister Musa Amadu that the body has appealed the court ruling through its lawyer.

According to the NFF statement, the body will continue with the running of football in the country, stressing that it has also filed a motion-on-notice for stay-of-execution of the High Court’s judgement at the same High Court, while the notice of appeal was filed at the Court of Appeal, Abuja. The NFF described the court judgement as merely talking about incorporation of the football house.

But, looking at the situation and the weight of the court judgment, P.M.NEWS is worried that the poor state of Nigeria’s football may soon degenerate to the total demise of the game Nigerians are so passionate about and had brought so much fame to the country.

We are of the opinion that the court verdict was indeed symbolised the epileptic football administration in the country for many years. We are concerned because the game is not faring better, while the stakeholders, especially the players and their loyal supporters have been left to mull over the dwindling fortunes of our teams.

Worse still, the managers of football have run the show badly with their lack of vision and incessant fighting both at the local, state and national levels.

For example, the greater part of the tenure of the current board of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, led by Alhaji Aminu Maigari, has been embroiled in infighting and legal battles.

Many members of the apex football ruling body are after personal gains rather than moving towards corporate national goals that can benefit Nigerians.

More so, the ongoing identity crisis rocking the NFF does not augur well for the healthy rivalry and fair play expected in a competitive football community in a country like Nigeria.

We therefore urge the football administrators, managers, stakeholders and feuding partners to close ranks and jettison their personal interests.

We are calling on the authorities to put in check the systematic collapse of the round leather game in the country, which has continued to bring untold embarrassment to the nation both at the continental and international competitions.

The recent drop in form of our senior national team calls for an urgent attention, as Nigeria now ranks a distant 45th on FIFA ranking and sixth in Africa behind Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Algeria, Egypt and Senegal. Nigeria’s current position is a great fall from its fifth position in the world when the country featured in its first FIFA World Cup in the United States of America back in 1994.

We believe that Nigeria, with a population of over 160 million people, has the human and natural resources to play a major role in continental and global football. There is need to revive the lost glory of our nation through football, and the time is now.