Players’ Union Compound NFF Woes, Files Fresh Court Case

As the problems plaguing the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, rages on, the registered Trustees of National Association of Nigeria Footballers, NANF, yesterday evening, instituted another suit against the Nigeria Football Association, NFA.

The applicant is seeking an order of the court to compel the NFA to render full account of all monies received and spent over the years on behalf of the soccer authority in the country whether by way of government grants, allocations, subsidy, donations, gifts and loans or such monies that have been received from external sources without due process.

NANF also is seeking the order of the court to prosecute any person, group of persons, organisation and authorities discovered to have taken and spent public funds in the name of NFA without due process and authority.

Joined as co-defendants are the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Minister of Sports, Director General of the National Sports Commission, NSC and the Clerk of the National Assembly.

In an affidavit sworn to by the president of NANF, Harrison Jalla, who is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the association and filed before a Federal High Court in Lagos by a Lagos lawyer, Bello Aideloje, Mr. Jalla alleged that the respondent has over the years developed exceptional but suffocation interest almost to the point of strangulating the management of football.

Jalla also said this is very injurious engagement to the overall interest of the applicant and members of NANF, and which can also lead to FIFA banning Nigeria from participating in its competitions.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

—Akin Kuponiyi