Debts alone couldn’t have consumed N2.8b I left in NFF accounts – Lulu

You have always said you left so much money in the accounts of the Nigeria Football Federation but the present leadership is said to be faced with lack of sufficient funds to execute programmes. Is this a surprise to you?Well it is very clear as a man who has served before and has seen it […]

You have always said you left so much money in the accounts of the Nigeria Football Federation but the present leadership is said to be faced with lack of sufficient funds to execute programmes. Is this a surprise to you?
Well it is very clear as a man who has served before and has seen it all, it is very important now that the whole sector is getting normalised to give my own little experience. Certainly everybody knows that I worked in the NFF for almost four years based on the mandate of the people and I started on a very sad note. I was not a revenue generating organisation but like I have said before, I came and met a debt of over N300m and there was nothing in the coffers. However, when I was leaving that place in 2010 after my forceful impeachment and I left close to N2.8b in the various accounts of NFF. We should also be mindful of the fact that 2010 was the peak period for our preparations for the 2010 Nations Cup and World Cup in South Africa. We needed more but only N900m and N500 totalling N1.4b was released to us for the World Cup and the Nations Cup. But we needed over N2.b for the two championships. With all the hectic activities, I did my job and left in the various account of NFF a total of over N2.8b. This means there must be a miracle somewhere. With the support of God and our passion, commitment and dedication to tirelessly serve our great nation, we were able to achieve this.
You said NFF is not a revenue generating organisation but how were you able to make the huge sum of money you said you left in the accounts of the NFF?
The money totally N2.8b like I said before is the $8m from FIFA for the 2010 World Cup appearance and the $5m FIFA grant for the hosting of the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. I also returned to the account of the football federation N400m from the N900m given to us by the government for the 2010 World Cup because we did not go beyond the group stage.
You said you left N2.8b in the coffers of the NFF. Did you also leave any debts that could have drained the accounts of the football federation?
Just like I keep saying there was no statement of account as at the time I was leaving. But it may interest you to know that at a stage I also loaned money to the NFF when there was urgent need to do so because there are due process of remittances of money from government. As at the time we are talking, I know there were some pockets of small debts which should not amount to more than N100m. I am not so sure but certainly the 2.8 billion couldn’t have been consumed by debts incurred by my administration.
But the chairman of the Finance Committee of the NFF said no such amount as you are claiming was left in the accounts of the NFF but you keep insisting on this amount. Whom do we believe?
 I am not too sure you are talking from facts. I am sorry Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima started by saying he left something in the account and I felt indicted and it was at that point that I came out to respond with facts. I came out with bank statements and I clearly came out that they owed about N300m with court cases all over the place. I came out to clear the air based on the impression created. Now I have come out again to clear the air with statements of facts.  I am sorry I am not aware of what you are saying that NFF came out to dispute these facts it is my responsibility to keep insisting based on verifiable facts that I left N2.8b in NFF accounts. I am not sure that NFF have denied but if they have, I want to say here that it is not true.
You have always insisted that you were not corrupt but some Nigerians still believe you presided over a very corrupt organisation. Would you say such Nigerians are unfair to you?
Well, I feel a bit sad but I don’t want to link this to Nigerians. Nigerians, I am not too sure are very much aware of all that is happening. I am not sure that if they had heard all that I said in the past, they would still come out and say Sani Lulu was corrupt. People who were using the power of government have given a wrong impress about me and I sincerely believe that at the appropriate time God will expose all these individuals. I have continued to talk to Nigerians through the press that I am challenging anybody who is saying my regime was corrupt to come to a round table debate. I am available and I have my facts. I do not want to go into details but I am insisting that I have done nothing wrong. I am challenging anybody to tell me in the whole country which none revenue generating organisation that can leave in its accounts money above its budgetary allocation. Nobody has done it but I did. So can I be corrupt with this singular evidence? I can’t be corrupt? I am still challenging anybody who feels I am corrupt to come out for a round table debate.
The present NFF has withdrawn from the 2013 CHAN citing lack of funds as reason. Would you have contemplated such in your time?
This is a very difficult question but under my administration we were always thinking about planning before we embark on any programme. Those who worked with me know that I would always prevail on the secretariat to prepare one year programme and also prepare the budget as it affected such programmes. From the budget I would ask where are we going to raise money and if the money was not enough, I then sit down with stakeholders to re-plan, re-strategise and renegotiate with the relevant parties. So what I am trying to say is that you don’t need to withdraw from any tournament. If you have it in your programme, you must sit down and begin to identify where to raise money. In 2008 I went to Nations Cup and when we qualified for quarter finals, there was no money but because it was part of my programme and it was part of my mandate that I must pay the players their money, I had to come down to Nigeria to borrow N40m from my personal account to pay the pay the players and their officials. I never told Nigerians, I never complained to the world but we did it because we love our country. So what I am saying is that whatever the congress has accepted and you have embarked upon, they must ensure they look for resources to execute the programmes. It is a thing of willingness, determination and faith and you will never fail if it is a genuine programme you are doing for the country.
With all that happened, do you regret serving as president of the Nigeria Football Federation and will you accept another chance to serve?
Well, God used Nigerians to make me what I was and I want to believe some Nigerians were used to get me out of there. Either ignorantly or deliberately it happened that way. I sincerely believe that God has a reason for what happened. I am not aggrieved because I have been faithful to my God. I want to remain faithful and those who did me wrong, who did God wrong only deprived Nigerians of getting a smooth continuity of what we set out to do for the country’s football. We came to redirect and reengineer Nigerian football with the vision of using the power of football to develop the future of Nigerians. We were carefully pursuing this programme before the unfortunate incident. If I have any regret it is that I spent my personal money to develop Nigerian football but only a few people seem to appreciate this fact.
Would you cherish another opportunity to serve?
I am not in position to say I will campaign for any position. I have not left anything in NFF that I have to go back to collect. I am happy to be here running this small academy and it is giving me tremendous happiness and satisfaction. I am not interested in running for any position.
Is it true that you have anointed a candidate for the 2014 NFF presidential election?
When I contested for election, I never had a godfather. God was my godfather. He alone gave that position to me. He only used Nigerians to lift me. I will never be involved in making such impress that I can influence such decision. God can use anybody. Let’s pray as right thinking citizens that the best candidate should emerge when the time comes.