CAF EXCO SEAT - After Adamu, who next?
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- Category: Sports
- Written by David Ngobua
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Although the Federation appeared to have weathered some of the storms to a reasonable extent, the recent comments on the floor of the Senate bordering on the integrity of the Executive Committee of the NFF and the pending public hearing to be conducted by both houses of the National Assembly to find lasting solutions to the dwindling fortunes of Nigerian football is indeed potential headache for the present NFF.
However, what is certainly going to be a litmus test for the NFF is the issue of the moment- getting a replacement for banned FIFA/CAF Executive Committee member, Dr. Amos Adamu. When Dr. Adamu was banned in 2010, following the bribery allegation scandal, the NFF nominated Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima, a former Chairman of the then NFA as a replacement. His candidature was fully backed by the federal government.
But during its congress in Sudan in February 2011, the president of CAF Issa Hayatou said Adamu can be replaced but only after the outcome of his appeal which was pending before the Court of Arbitration in Sports, CAS.
The recent decision by CAS to throw out Adamu’s appeal has cleared the way for Nigeria to get a football administrator with maybe more integrity and credibility to replace the former Director-General of the National Sports Commission in the CAF Executive Committee.
As it is, there is a hot chase among some of the leading football administrators in Nigeria for the vacant CAF seat. At the moment, names which are all familiar with most Nigerian, especially avid football followers are linked with the plum job.
The contenders for the position for now are said to be the incumbent NFF president, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, former NFA chairman, Brig-General Dominic Oneya, former NFA Scribe, Alhaji Ahmed Sani Toro and a member of the CAF Media Committee, Mr. Paul Bassey who is a seasoned sports journalists.
These are the men who are said to be in the race for the available CAF Executive Committee position. At the moment, everybody mentioned is treading cautiously but it is said as simple as it may appear, if not handled with tact and maturity, the matter will degenerate into another crisis that would further embarrass the nation.
SHOT! learnt on good authority that camps have already emerged to push the interest of some of the aspirants earlier mentioned. It was gathered that even as he is presently in the cooler, Dr. Amos Adamu knows that in a couple of months, he would be off the hook and in position to return to active football politics.
It is said the former CAF/FIFA Executive Committee member is looking at the possibility of taking a shot at the CAF presidency when the present tenure of Hayaotu must have expired. And to realize his ambition, it is said he would very much like to get onto the CAF Executive Committee a loyalist who would work for his return in a higher capacity.
According to impeccable sources, Adamu’s headache is the present ordeal of some of his loyalists like former NFF president, Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi, his first vice, Chief Amanze Uchegbulem, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi and Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba who are facing trials over corruption charges.
As a last resort, it is said Adamu is now working on getting the incumbent NFF president, Maigari, a gentleman whom he believes would always do his bidding as far as his political ambition is concerned.
It is also said Paul Bassey who is currently in CAF is going to be on standby in case the choice of Maigari does not yet the desired result.
Sources also have it that General Oneya (retired), a former NFA chairman who is said to be close to the Director-General of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Chief Patrick Ekeji may enjoy some measure of sympathy from the Commission. If this happens, it would rekindle the existing rivalry between Adamu and Ekeji.
For now, former NFA chairman, Galadima appears to be out of everybody’s calculations but he is a factor that must be considered.
It will be recalled that he the first to be presented to the federal government as NFF’s nomination for the position. The government in turn accepted him and went further to set in motion the committee that was headed by Oneya, one of the people being linked with the job, to work for his emergence as CAF Executive Committee member.
As things stand now, Galadima’s name has not been officially withdrawn from CAF, yet there are clandestine moves to nominate another person to replace him. Consequently, the development has not gone down well with those who feel Galadima deserves more respect than he has so far received.
Digging deeper, it will be realized that impending events between the two chambers of the National Assembly and the Nigeria Football Federation would surely make it difficult for Adamu’s replacement to emerge without hiccups.
At the moment, there is no love lost between the Senate and the NFF.
As said earlier, both the Senate and House of Representatives are going to conduct public hearings which would have far reaching effect on the issue on ground. The Chairman of Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri has since tagged the NFF as the most corrupt agency in the country. Such damming verdict has not gone down well with the NFF and the relationship between the two is obviously strained to a breaking point.
Now, whoever emerges as the candidate of the NFF must receive the blessing of the federal government through the two chambers of the National Assembly. If the NFF and the legislators cannot see eye to eye, it is pretty hard to see how the ‘anointed’ of the football house would get the much needed presidential endorsement.
In addition, the impending public hearing may throw up a lot of
stinkers that may necessitate government drastic measures against the Sports Commission and the NFF. In the case of NFF, that would be interpreted by FIFA as government interference and FIFA’s laws are explicit on such matters.
If FIFA’s hammer falls on Nigeria, it means NFF’s nomination for the CAF Executive Committee membership would be of no consequence. And considering the fact that Adamu’s replacement is to be made within a stipulated time, CAF may be compelled to look elsewhere.
The coming days would determine what becomes of the vacancy created by the disgraceful exit of Adamu. However, going by the influence of Nigeria as far as football on the continent is concerned, it would make a lot of meaning to get a Nigerian to replace Adamu in CAF but the vaulting ambitions of those who are in the race for the juicy job may rock the boat.
Articles
CAF EXCO SEAT - After Adamu, who next?
Category: Sports Written by David Ngobua Hits: 546
For several years now, Nigeria football has known no peace. Consequently, an expert once said that more than ninety nine percent of Nigerian football is about politics but not the development of the sport. The present NFF under Alhaji Aminu Maigari was inaugurated in August 2010. In all fairness, the football federation has found it difficult to concentrate fully on issues of football development due to dozens of court cases it is faced with. It is too soon to forget the rough times the federation had in the hands of Jaret Tenebe led new NFA.Although the Federation appeared to have weathered some of the storms to a reasonable extent, the recent comments on the floor of the Senate bordering on the integrity of the Executive Committee of the NFF and the pending public hearing to be conducted by both houses of the National Assembly to find lasting solutions to the dwindling fortunes of Nigerian football is indeed potential headache for the present NFF.
However, what is certainly going to be a litmus test for the NFF is the issue of the moment- getting a replacement for banned FIFA/CAF Executive Committee member, Dr. Amos Adamu. When Dr. Adamu was banned in 2010, following the bribery allegation scandal, the NFF nominated Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima, a former Chairman of the then NFA as a replacement. His candidature was fully backed by the federal government.
But during its congress in Sudan in February 2011, the president of CAF Issa Hayatou said Adamu can be replaced but only after the outcome of his appeal which was pending before the Court of Arbitration in Sports, CAS.
The recent decision by CAS to throw out Adamu’s appeal has cleared the way for Nigeria to get a football administrator with maybe more integrity and credibility to replace the former Director-General of the National Sports Commission in the CAF Executive Committee.
As it is, there is a hot chase among some of the leading football administrators in Nigeria for the vacant CAF seat. At the moment, names which are all familiar with most Nigerian, especially avid football followers are linked with the plum job.
The contenders for the position for now are said to be the incumbent NFF president, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, former NFA chairman, Brig-General Dominic Oneya, former NFA Scribe, Alhaji Ahmed Sani Toro and a member of the CAF Media Committee, Mr. Paul Bassey who is a seasoned sports journalists.
These are the men who are said to be in the race for the available CAF Executive Committee position. At the moment, everybody mentioned is treading cautiously but it is said as simple as it may appear, if not handled with tact and maturity, the matter will degenerate into another crisis that would further embarrass the nation.
SHOT! learnt on good authority that camps have already emerged to push the interest of some of the aspirants earlier mentioned. It was gathered that even as he is presently in the cooler, Dr. Amos Adamu knows that in a couple of months, he would be off the hook and in position to return to active football politics.
It is said the former CAF/FIFA Executive Committee member is looking at the possibility of taking a shot at the CAF presidency when the present tenure of Hayaotu must have expired. And to realize his ambition, it is said he would very much like to get onto the CAF Executive Committee a loyalist who would work for his return in a higher capacity.
According to impeccable sources, Adamu’s headache is the present ordeal of some of his loyalists like former NFF president, Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi, his first vice, Chief Amanze Uchegbulem, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi and Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba who are facing trials over corruption charges.
As a last resort, it is said Adamu is now working on getting the incumbent NFF president, Maigari, a gentleman whom he believes would always do his bidding as far as his political ambition is concerned.
It is also said Paul Bassey who is currently in CAF is going to be on standby in case the choice of Maigari does not yet the desired result.
Sources also have it that General Oneya (retired), a former NFA chairman who is said to be close to the Director-General of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Chief Patrick Ekeji may enjoy some measure of sympathy from the Commission. If this happens, it would rekindle the existing rivalry between Adamu and Ekeji.
For now, former NFA chairman, Galadima appears to be out of everybody’s calculations but he is a factor that must be considered.
It will be recalled that he the first to be presented to the federal government as NFF’s nomination for the position. The government in turn accepted him and went further to set in motion the committee that was headed by Oneya, one of the people being linked with the job, to work for his emergence as CAF Executive Committee member.
As things stand now, Galadima’s name has not been officially withdrawn from CAF, yet there are clandestine moves to nominate another person to replace him. Consequently, the development has not gone down well with those who feel Galadima deserves more respect than he has so far received.
Digging deeper, it will be realized that impending events between the two chambers of the National Assembly and the Nigeria Football Federation would surely make it difficult for Adamu’s replacement to emerge without hiccups.
At the moment, there is no love lost between the Senate and the NFF.
As said earlier, both the Senate and House of Representatives are going to conduct public hearings which would have far reaching effect on the issue on ground. The Chairman of Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri has since tagged the NFF as the most corrupt agency in the country. Such damming verdict has not gone down well with the NFF and the relationship between the two is obviously strained to a breaking point.
Now, whoever emerges as the candidate of the NFF must receive the blessing of the federal government through the two chambers of the National Assembly. If the NFF and the legislators cannot see eye to eye, it is pretty hard to see how the ‘anointed’ of the football house would get the much needed presidential endorsement.
In addition, the impending public hearing may throw up a lot of
stinkers that may necessitate government drastic measures against the Sports Commission and the NFF. In the case of NFF, that would be interpreted by FIFA as government interference and FIFA’s laws are explicit on such matters.
If FIFA’s hammer falls on Nigeria, it means NFF’s nomination for the CAF Executive Committee membership would be of no consequence. And considering the fact that Adamu’s replacement is to be made within a stipulated time, CAF may be compelled to look elsewhere.
The coming days would determine what becomes of the vacancy created by the disgraceful exit of Adamu. However, going by the influence of Nigeria as far as football on the continent is concerned, it would make a lot of meaning to get a Nigerian to replace Adamu in CAF but the vaulting ambitions of those who are in the race for the juicy job may rock the boat.