Another FIFA ban on Nigeria

This time around, as before, the Nigerian government is accused of interference in football matters by giving effect to an order of a High Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria preventing the President of the Nigerian Football Federation, the NFF Executive Committee members and the NFF Congress from running the affairs of Nigerian football […]

This time around, as before, the Nigerian government is accused of interference in football matters by giving effect to an order of a High Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria preventing the President of the Nigerian Football Federation, the NFF Executive Committee members and the NFF Congress from running the affairs of Nigerian football for an indeterminate period, technically sacking the NFF administration illegally, which is an offence against Article 13 of the FIFA Statute. FIFA insists that grievances over football matters should not be handled by municipal courts but should rather be taken to the sport’s recognized continental body and the international Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).
Obviously aware that it was swimming in troubled waters, the Federal Government hastily constituted a delegation and dispatched it to Brazil to lobby the FIFA bigwigs to turn a blind eye to the violation of its rules. Since others cannot countenance the kind of impunity with which we conduct our own affairs here, FIFA predictably went ahead to announce its suspension of Nigeria from all its activities. The immediate fallout of the suspension is that Nigeria will not be entitled to participate in the upcoming FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup, scheduled for August 5-24 in Canada – if the suspension is not lifted by tomorrow. Nigeria will also suffer a host of other misfortunes too numerous to mention.
Over the years, FIFA has made it clear that it will not spare any member country whose government chooses to unnecessarily get involved in the smooth running of football. A number of countries, including Nigeria, have in the past been disciplined by FIFA for going against its rules. That Nigeria has travelled this road before and is yet willing to earn another suspension from FIFA is difficult to rationalize. It is lamentable that like a mischievous child who courts attention, the authorities went ahead to accept this infraction of FIFA rule well aware of the fact that FIFA will see through the ruse of the court order.
Clearly, the action of our country represents an unnecessary testing of the will of FIFA, a body that has remained inflexible in its demand that football and politics should not be allowed to mix. Any nation that has voluntarily signed to become a member of FIFA is expected to obey this and other rules meant for the insulation of the game of football from unnecessary politics. FIFA is not infringing on the sovereignty of member nations but merely insisting that the beautiful game, which means so much to billions of people, should be allowed to develop.
The course of action left for us is quite simple. The Federal Government should swallow its pride for the sake of our football and get the court to vacate its order immediately or at any rate, not later than tomorrow, so that FIFA can lift its suspension on our country. The fate of so many Nigerians is dependent on our affiliation to FIFA and our active participation in football locally and internationally.
It is clear that the government is not happy with Aminu Maigari-led NFF and wants them out. If the NFF is guilty of any crimes, due process should be followed in bringing them to account. The way to go is not to always think that since football in Nigeria is sponsored largely by government, the government has a right to do as it wants without regard to laid down rules and regulations. FIFA has served notice that with football, he who pays the piper does not always dictate the tune.
Our government should try to spare the country of self-inflicted pain by always showing that once we sign to be affiliated to any international organisation, we are bound to obey their rules. We must seek to show that we are a respectable member of the international community.