Where there is a will…
In Zurich, Switzerland on Thursday, I read a few comments and analyses on-line and of course, as is usually the case in a situation like this, there were several persons against and the multitude for. The important thing is that the multitude is for the peaceful and sensible resolution of the crisis, as brokered by […]
In Zurich, Switzerland on Thursday, I read a few comments and analyses on-line and of course, as is usually the case in a situation like this, there were several persons against and the multitude for. The important thing is that the multitude is for the peaceful and sensible resolution of the crisis, as brokered by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, GCON and the Honourable Minister of Youth Development/Supervising Minister and Chairman, National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.
While it would be improper to go into all the details of what transpired in the course of six days leading to the resolution, I must greatly applaud the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, the very lively and adorable SGF, Senator Anyim and the youthful, energetic and effervescent Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, while not forgetting the Members of NFF Executive Committee and the litigants, Barrister Ray Nnaji and Dr. Sam Sam Jaja.
The President and Commander-In-Chief instructed a peaceful resolution of the crisis; the Honourable Minister had the wisdom to involve the SGF and the SGF listened to all parties concerned and advised a truce that would ensure all parties are satisfied.
The Honourable Minister is a young man (fittingly, for he is holding substantive post of Minister of Youth Development), and has succeeded where many before him failed. And as someone said at the end of the parley, as the Minister, DG of National Sports Commission, Chief (Dr) Patrick Ekeji, members of the NFF Executive Committee, Dr. Jaja and Barrister Nnaji took photos and shook hands and backslapped in a very easy and convivial atmosphere, Mallam Abdullahi has succeeded simply because he has no personal interest in the matter, only the interest of the nation counted for him.
Over the past couple of months since he was made Supervising Minister/Chairman of the NSC by His Excellency, President Jonathan, I have had cause to meet personally with Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi a number of times. At first, I was not sure about him and he was not sure about me, but over a period of weeks of talking and expressing ourselves freely, we discovered, to our mutual joy, that only the interest of the nation mattered on both sides.
As I told him on a couple of occasions, football is so big and so important to this country that if I was personally found to be the problem, I would not hesitate to leave. That is how much I love the game and that is how much I appreciate its essence in Nigerian life.
But as democratically-elected representatives of the people, charged with elevating the game and using it to bring joy to our people and help the nation’s image internationally, we cannot chicken out.
Posterity would not forgive us.
Now, as I mentioned earlier, much praise must go to President Jonathan, Senator Anyim, Minister Abdullahi, DG Ekeji, NFF Executive Committee members, Barrister Nnaji and Dr. Jaja. The roles played by all was for sustainable peace in Nigeria football in order that the NFF would now be able to concentrate fully on its programmes and have no excuse for failure.
What was achieved on Tuesday confirms that in as much as people may belong to different backgrounds, subscribe to different ideologies and hold fast to different philosophies, wherever there is a will, there is a way.
Following the poor results by some of the National Teams in the last quarter of last year, we had instituted a few reforms, and it was seen in Kigali, Rwanda on 29 February that the home boys can give as much, if not more than, the foreign-based professionals. That fact is not lost on the Euro-based boys either.
Other reforms include the appointment of surefire achievers to positions of National Technical Director, Head Coach of Super Falcons and Head Coach of Flying Eagles, come next week. We also intend to pursue our zero tolerance for age cheating all the way.
One of the enduring proverbs that came out of the meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, GCON was this: Vengeance is like a rattlesnake; it bites even the avenger. Senator Anyim told us that the rattlesnake loves vengeance so much, that once you step on it, it begins to fight so furiously that it even bites itself before knowing!
As I said a couple of weeks ago, football is so big and so expansive that everyone can get in. There is no need to have a philosophy of exclusion. For instance, if there was no conscious philosophy of exclusion, there was no reason why someone like Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, a former Board Member of then NFA and a former President of the Nigeria Referees Association should have been disqualified from contesting for a seat on the board of the Nigeria Premier League.
A highly qualified persona and gentleman, I first met Dr. Jaja several years ago, and met him a couple of times even after the court judgement, with a view to resolving the issue. He is always ready for peace, and wants nothing more than a clearance of his name and restoration of his integrity.
I also know Barrister Ray Nnaji very well and I am happy with his disposition all through the talks. The moment the SGF called him, Nnaji agreed to leave all that he was engaged with to come to Abuja and opt for a peaceful resolution and reconciliation.
One thing that the two prominent personalities wanted to know was the sincerity of the NFF Executive Committee to a peaceful resolution. I use this medium to, once more, assure them that we are indeed sincere and will fulfill our own part of the deal.
I wish to thank all members of the NFF Executive Committee: my humble self (President), Chief Mike Umeh (1st Vice President), Chief Rumson Baribote (2nd Vice President, also Chairman of Nigeria Premier League), Dr. Shehu Adamu (Member), Barrister Chris Green (Member), Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu (Member), Mr. Ayodeji Tinubu (Member), Barrister Olaleye Adepoju (Member), Hon. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande (Member), Chief Effiong Johnson (Member), Alhaji Muazu Suleyman (Member), Alhaji Ahmad Muazu Kawu (Member, also Chairman of Nigeria Nationwide League), Chief (Mrs) Dilichukwu Onyedinma (Member, also Chairman of Nigeria Women League), Alhaji Ahmed Fresh Yusuf (Member) and Barrister Musa Amadu (Secretary). Absent, as a result of his trip to USA, was High Chief Emeka Inyama, also Chairman of the Nigeria National League.
The challenge now is to ensure that similar peace is achieved at the level of the Nigeria Premier League. On Tuesday, the Minister/Chairman and the DG, in the presence of the NFF Exco, told Chief Baribote to take full charge. The door is open for reconciliatory moves.
Good Job, Flamingoes…
I wish to commend the U-17 Women National Team, Flamingoes, for their 2-1 victory over the U-17 Women’s Team of Zambia in far away Lusaka last week, in a FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup African final round qualifier. The result has laid a good foundation for our girls to finish the job in Abeokuta next weekend and take their place at this year’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup finals in Azerbaijan.
Well done, girls.
NEXT WEEK: Let Us Eschew Violence In Our Stadia