Skip to main content

Re: FIFA Suspension of the Nigeria Football Federation

October 4, 2010

 Hello Mr Blatter: The decision of FIFA today to suspend Nigeria indefinitely has shown one thing, that is that FIFA is a biased body which condones corruption among its officials from the so-called developing countries. There are only a few Nigerians, if any, who will be sad with the suspension because the people are tired of the incessant threats of ban from your organisation believed to be instigated by some corrupt Nigerians working with your men from Zurich.

 Hello Mr Blatter: The decision of FIFA today to suspend Nigeria indefinitely has shown one thing, that is that FIFA is a biased body which condones corruption among its officials from the so-called developing countries. There are only a few Nigerians, if any, who will be sad with the suspension because the people are tired of the incessant threats of ban from your organisation believed to be instigated by some corrupt Nigerians working with your men from Zurich.

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });

 I will not be afraid to mention names here. Your member from Nigeria, Amos Adamu should be bold to tell FIFA and Nigerians how he got into FIFA when he was never a football man. Adamu was a government official who benefited from the so-called government interference your are suspending Nigeria for. As director in the Sports ministry, Adamu at a time became sole administrator of the NFA after the board was sacked in the early 90s. Then he did not see it as government interference. As a director, he gradually installed his men into the NFA who compensated him by nominating him for both the CAF and FIFA positions he now enjoys at the expense of the real football people he frustrated. One of such men is the late Patrick Okpomo who was stopped from attending the 1996 Africa Nations Cup in South Africa.

That FIFA has issued Nigeria more threats of ban than any other country in its fold is the handiwork of Adamu who has manipulated and compromised FIFA officials since his ascendancy into the Executive Committee. In which country but Nigeria has FIFA officials become contractors because Nigeria must host its competitions. I want FIFA to swear that its officials never benefited from Nigeria's hosting of the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. When our late president, Alhaji Umaru Yar'Adua canceled the hosting of the event because of the fraudulent inflation of the money required to the tune N37 billion, what did FIFA say of the intent to steal Nigeria's money in the name of hosting a kindergarten event which European nations host with Secondary schools facilities.

When some NFA officials stole the association's $236,000, what did FIFA say, when the NFA booked a hotel not approved by FIFA for the 2010 World Cup, what was FIFA's reaction? Nigerians cried out that our U-17 team fielded an overaged captain for the 2009 event, FIFA playing to the scvript of its Nigerian accomplice, waved it aside, helping in the ruination of the development of our youth football. There was a reported case of World Cup ticket racketeering in 2006 by its official in Nigeria, FIFA turned blind eyes but found it easy to deal with another member, Bhamjee of Botswana implicated in the same case. FIFA should swear it was not bribed by its Nigerian accomplice.

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });

FIFA and CAF have always ran to Nigeria to help host one championship or another mainly for what their members stand to gain by the hosting and not for football development. During these times, they never bothered about government interference. What FIFA has demonstrated from this suspension, is that the sovereignty of our country is not important to it, that is that we should disobey the laws of our land and respect only FIFA statutes. I want to ask, will FIFA do the same thing in Switzerland where it has its headquarters, asking its officials not to obey the Swiss laws? If the answer is no, I then ask why the double standard when it comes to Nigeria, where the government spends over 90 percent of the funds used in running football.

Has FIFA bothered to ask what NFA has done with all the millions of dollars it receives from it for the development of football in Nigeria? It's sad that FIFA is being run like a cult since you assumed leadership of the body. It was not so during the tenure of your predecessor, Joao Havelange. 

In the events leading to the election which a Nigerian court stopped, one of the revered footballers from Nigeria, nay Africa, Segun Odegbami wrote a petition to FIFA, complaining of the illegality of the whole process, but FIFA turned blind eyes. In 2006, your Nigerian member, Adamu, using the might of government with the tacit approval of FIFA secretary general then, Urs Linsi  truncated the election of  Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima and installed his stooge, Sani Lulu Abdullahi and FIFA endorsed it. In 2010, when the same method was used to remove those who are being investigated for financial fraud, your Nigerian member, because the process will not benefit him, has instigated you to suspend Nigeria from all football activities till further notice. If this suspension will help us sanitise our football system and remove the clogs in the wheel of our football progress, it is highly welcome. Nigerians say, to hell with FIFA.  Our laws, like that of Switzerland where you hail from,  are superior to FIFA's. Thank you for taking pains to read this letter.

 

 

 

 

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });