Court: NFF chiefs have a case to answer

Nnamdi Felix / Abuja

Former officials of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, who had been standing trial on a 10 count criminal charge bordering on missapropriation of about 1.5 billion Naira, brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission were on Thursday compelled by Justice Donatus Okorowo to face their trial.

The officials, Mr. Sani Lulu, Bolaji Ojoba, Uche Onyegbulem and Taiwo Ogunjobi, soon after their arraignment at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in September, 2010, had approached the court with applications seeking for the quashing of the charges slammed against them by the anti graft agency.

The court held that the NFF which was formerly NFA, is an entity within the National Sports Commission which is also an agency of the Federal Government and depends on Government funds for its operations and as such are regulated by laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The court, while refusing the application to quash the charges against the former executive members, held that being members of the NFF Board when they allegedly committed the crimes for which they are standing trial, that the embattled former officials are public officers and are subject to laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria aimed at abolishing corruption and are liable to be tried for any breach of such laws.

Justice Okorowo agreed with the anti graft agency that as a body which receives its subventions from the Federal Government, that the government has the right to inquire how the funds it released were utilized.

The embattled officials had sought to evade their trial on the ground that the NFF is an autonomous body whose operations and activities are regulated by FIFA statutes and whose officials are not public servants as envisaged by the Public Procurement Act and cannot be tried under the Act.

They also contended that no law empowers the government to interfere in the day to day activities of the football body as the administration and coordination of football is not in the exclusive list of the constitution to warrant the intervention of the Federal Government in the body’s procurement of goods and services.

They were alleged to have frittered away the sum of about 1.5 billion Naira belonging to the Nigerian Football Federation through the inflation of the cost of procuring Marcopolo Luxurious Buses for the NFF as well as other contracts scams perpetrated while serving as members of the football body’s Board.

The court held that the NFF evolved from the NFA which is a statutory creation of the government created to coordinate and regulate football activities in Nigeria before the body became a member of FIFA.

The court held that a prima facie evidence had been established against the embattled former Board members and ordered them to face their trial.

The court subsequently adjourned to 20 March for the trial.