Nigerian football is ninety-nine percent politics — Lumumba
As a frontline football administrator and enthusiast what is your take on the present state of Nigerian football, especially as it concerns our dwindling fortunes? It is common knowledge because it is seen and felt by all that have any element of interest in football in Nigeria. This has been a year that Nigeria has […]
As a frontline football administrator and enthusiast what is your take on the present state of Nigerian football, especially as it concerns our dwindling fortunes?
It is common knowledge because it is seen and felt by all that have any element of interest in football in Nigeria. This has been a year that Nigeria has recorded its worst outings in virtually all spheres or segments of football. And I would say for some of us it is not surprising. We saw it coming long time ago. It is rather surprising that it took this long in coming because the structures have since collapsed and we are where we are because no deliberate efforts have been put in place to revive Nigerian football. It is very unfortunate and looking at from a nationalist point of view, it is sad to note that Nigeria which is considered politically and economically as a giant of Africa with a vast population, endowed with human resources made up of talented players is unable to harness these resources for the good of the game and its people. It is no gain saying that football is one endeavour that has brought unity to Nigeria. It is one thing that unites Nigerians so much. Nigerians have become passionate about football because of past exploits of the national teams. Everything is gradually lost because of reasons earlier adduced.
In specific terms, what do you think is wrong with our football? Most people have laid the blame on lack of commitment on the part of the players and football administrators.
First of all you have to acknowledge or rather realise that the major thing that has tended to affect Nigerian football is politics. Football is a purely technical matter. The political aspect or element of football shouldn’t be more than five to ten percent whereas the remaining is technical purely. But you see Nigerian football is ninety nine percent politics and that is why we are where we are, take it or leave it. We play more politics than the actual thing that is required to move the sport forward. . Everything about Nigerian football is politics. I mean everything. From the money that comes into the game, the selection of players and coaches. Even the competence element that is required in certain technical aspects has been compromised for politics. With such a setting, there is no way we can move forward. At the risk of sounding pessimistic there is no way we can make it. It is the truth. We can shy away from the truth and try to cover up but for how long?. We have been trying to cover the truth for a long time and this is the manifestation of such cover up. Football is going down and down. It is not only about results. If Nigeria were not qualifying for tournaments or competitions but structures are being put on ground for future development one would understand. We can set out on a deliberate programme that we are starting all over. Do as the Americans did, do as the Ghanaians did and bid our time, but there is no such plan.
It is also argued that one of the major problems of Nigerian football is lack of a competent technical department in the NFF. Do you subscribe to this?
This is part of what I said earlier concerning too much politics in the sport. A lot of commentators have criticized the NFF technical committee. Let me tell you my take on this. I think it is misplaced priority. We have suddenly found ourselves giving prominence to a committee. What should drive Nigerian football within the NFF is the technical department much more than the committee. The committee should just play advisory role and should be a bridge between administration and the technical department for the implementation of their programme. A sound technical department should be set up with competent and technically proven professionals to drive Nigerian football. We are over emphasizing the importance of technical committee which is made up of members. It does not require any professional qualification to become a member of the NFF Executive Committee and subsequently the technical committee. The statues provide that every committee of the FA must be headed by an executive committee member of the association. It is possible that you have a situation whereby none of them is technically sound. In such a case, you cannot rely on the technical committee to develop the game. It is the technical department that outlives any committee. The committees come and go as you change the executive committee. So the technical department is supposed to be the hub. That is the fulcrum on which Nigerian football should stand. We are over emphasizing the importance of the technical committee but like I said earlier, it is part of the politics. More importance should be attached to the technical department which at the moment is virtually non-existent.
You have identified the problems militating against the development of football but what do you think those who are presently in charge should do to arrest the aimless drift?
It grieves me, it pains me that Nigeria as nation is endowed with enormous resources both human and materials in sports and football in particular, yet due to lack of ability to harness the talents and sometimes deliberate irresponsibility, we are witnessing embarrassing decline in our football. People are not ready to do the right thing. Politics and corruption have affected Nigerian football beyond imagination. if you look at the enormity of the problem, you may say I am a defeatist, but I don’t know how they want to solve these problems because the way we are going, it will take somebody with a strong will, character and focus to turn things around for Nigerian football to grow. Where are they going to start from?. There is no legal framework. That’s the starting point. We must get it right. Why is there so much confusion? How many cases do we have in court today?. It is simply because people see the loopholes, they see lacunas, and they cash in and take advantage. Take the NPL for instance. For the past three years, there have been legal issues over title sponsorship. The league has run for three years without a title sponsor. The level of development and growth that sponsorship would have brought to the game has been lost. All these lost time who is going to compensate the system. Nobody cares. People have become so selfish. Everybody now sees Nigerian football as a cash cow. Everybody wants to go in there and milk it dry. We should be ready to address issues dispassionately.
It may interest you to know that the committee set up by the former minister of sports to reform Nigerian football has submitted its recommendations. Do you think the committee’s recommendations would help address some of these problems?
Well, I am not privy to the recommendations but I tell you even as it has become a song that government is continuous, nothing may come out of it. I tell you, what we are seeing particularly in the sports ministry, with the high turnover of ministers in that ministry, everybody has his own policy thrusts and the way of looking at issues. I would not be surprised if that report is gone with the minister who has just left. Part of the problem is the fact that that ministers of sports have been appointed outside the sporting family. Therefore, they grapple with the terrain, trying to understand it and in the process they fall in the hands of hawks who for selfish reasons manipulate them and influence them in their line of thinking which is most times very selfish.
The feeling in some quarters has been that the ban placed on Dr. Amos Adamu by FIFA has also contributed to the sharp decline in our football. Do you share in such opinions?
I totally disagree. That would be personalizing Nigerian football. If Amos had a legacy it would have lived him. If it was a legacy, a well structured legacy it would have lived beyond him. He has just left office and if you say things are crashing, it tells you a lot about his reign as Director of sports and later Director-General of the National Sports Commission. So there is no personalization of issues like this. There are supposed to be structures that would outlive anybody, be it Amos Adamu or anyone else.
The present leadership of the NFF has not gone to sleep in the task of salvaging what is left of Nigerian football. Is there anything the committee has done that is worthy of commendation?
Yes, I want to commend the present leadership of the NFF on its swift appointment of a new Super Eagles coach. I am not saying Keshi is the best but the federation did not allow too much time for unnecessary politicking and other intrigues that usually herald such appointments. Any delay would have created another opportunity for self serving people to bring more confusion into the system. I therefore commend the quick response on the part of the NFF.