Nigeria: ‘Combatants’ in the Nation’s Football House

Daily Independent (Lagos)

11 June 2011

opinion

The crisis in the Nigeria football house is a running story no one can tell when it will end. Until recently, the crisis was between the Harrison Jalla-led National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF), the Jarret Tenebe-led Nigeria Football Association (NFA) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Weeks back, the crisis attained a new dimension that gave birth to the NFF which now claims to be the constitutionally recognised body to manage football. In this report, PIUS ANAKALI, argues that constitutionally, NANF, NFF and NFA are illegal bodies.

The crisis and controversy surrounding the administration of football in Nigeria is taking new shapes and colours by the day. From mere disagreement on how football should be administered to who should be in charge, it has transformed to becoming a constitutional matter that may consume the combatants.

Over the past months, Nigerians, especially lovers of football, have been treated to some form of naked dance, a comedy of some sort that made many wonder if the people managing football in Nigeria are professionals in management like their ‘boys’ who ply their trade abroad for premier FCs in super leagues.

The latest development borders on which body – the NANF, the NFF or the NFA – is legal. The next issue might just be ‘why football should be played in the classrooms instead of on football pitch’.

That is the scenario that football in Nigeria has found itself. And from all indications, there seems to be no end in sight as the combatants hold on strongly to their fanatical beliefs.

On one side of the divide is Harrison Jalla and his NANF, Jarret Tenebe and his NFA, and Aminu Maigari and his NFF. Maigari is the chairman of the embattled Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Though the on-going crisis predated Maigari, it has however acquired a new dimension since he came to power.

Just before the elections that threw up Maigari, NANF got an injunction from the court stopping the election after the trio of Amanze Uchegbulam, Taiwo Ogunjobi and Sani Lulu were sent packing from office. But basking on the FIFA statue which bars government from interfering in its activities, the board went ahead with the election. Maigari, the favoured candidate of the former trio emerged victorious. He had with him Mike Umeh with whom he has been running the affairs of the NFF.

But an undeterred NANF was willing to enforce the court injunction got from a valid court of the land. Even though NFF has tried to wriggle out of the problem, every attempt had always ended on the wrong side.

Tired of daily summon by the court, Maigari gathered some eggheads to help find a way out and he latched on the idea of writing the courts informing them that henceforth, no summon would be heeded because the NFA always referred to has since transformed into NFF.

Unknown to them, they were opening another legal tangle.

Truly, the NFF is not known to the law but recognises the NFA as the body saddled with the task of running football in the country.

On that basis, NFF can truly be descried as illegal body. If one adds that to the affidavit they swore to in court, one may start to wonder if the personalities are fit to occupy the position they are holding.

Even the NFA that seems ‘legal’ as constituted currently is not any different from the NFF. Some argued that NFA is on the board in the interim, yet the question needs be asked: On whose authority is it there and who elected or appointed it? It is easy for people to gather and call themselves by whatever name but they need the force of the law to claim what they think their identity represents.

The NFA is supposed to be a parastatal under the National Sports Commission (NSC). The Act that set it up needs to be amended before it can transform into NFF, but does it really matter?

To an outsider, the change means nothing but to others it matters. The Act that sets up NFA gave power to the secretary of the association who has the final say, but under Lulu and co felt they should have a bigger say in the running of the association. One of the ways to achieving this was to transform to a federation as in the case in France, to dictate the tune as in having executive power like state governors.

In a well-attended media briefing in Abuja, Lulu and his team announced to the world about the change of name.

In a desperate attempt to have his way, Lulu and co failed to see beyond their nose. Their action is what has plunged Nigeria football deeper into crisis no one knows how or when it will end.

But there are reports of some clandestine moves by some big shots close to the presidency to douse the tension. Good move, but will that help the legal tangle the crisis has assumed? What then is the way out?

Well, analysts are of the opinion that the two factions should be brought to a round table for discussion. These idea of been untouchable or hiding under the so-called FIFA statue won’t help anyone. Even as we all know, the world football body is in crisis. So reform is the word. Sit down and talk, iron out the differences, accept and take blame in the interest of the coming generation of footballers, in the interest of teeming Nigeria football fans, who spend their hard-earned money to watch Super Eagles.

Football is business, but it is more of politics, which can only be played well if the home front is stable and when credible and critical stakeholders speak with one voice. The winners in any peaceful settlement won’t be Maigari, Jalla or Tenebe but football.

As a former international put it, “let football speak for us.”

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