Trouble Brewing at NFA Emergency meeting

[furiously frank]

MD:

Frankly, if it means sacrifising the U-20 and U-17 then so be it but the Minister and power-drunks like him must be called to order. From what KOC has mentioned, he had the opportunity to make this thing work by having Galadima duly make these announcements. He simply passed it up and chose to show his fangs instead. That cannot be tolerated and I am happy that that message will be sent. While I feel that some of those guys relieved should have been relieved, it was not the Minister's duty to do so.

EII, I hope 'am wrong, but it seems all you are after is for the minister to take the decision and have Galadima announce it! tokenism? So even if the board was not informed about the decision and were not consulted but as long as the NFA chair announce and rubber stamp the appointment it is all well and good. C'mmon, well I hope this is not what you meant by the bolded portions of your post.
If NFA needed to be independent, then they must, I am sick and tired of all these charade

[SSTAR]

MINISTER'S ACTIONS MAY HAVE BEEN HIGH-HANDED, AND DECISIONS DEBATABLE, BUT...

...the performance of the NFA over a long period of time means that it can count on only miniscule public sympathy.
Bell

Bell, great thinking.
Some folks seems to have forgotten the saying that, 'he who pays the piper, dictates the tune'. If the NFA had been able to generate its own funds it would not have been in the predicament it now is. Now the NFA is scoffing at the same government it goes to, 'hat in hand', wanting to maintain organisational control. While the NFA is squabbling with its source of funds, the league's situation remains unresolved, with clubs questioning the boardroom decision on relegations and promotions months after the last season ended. The promised U-20 friendlies are being cancelled, and preparations for the AYC in a few weeks are not tended to. In short incompetence is rampant withing the association.
Maybe if the NFA is totally self sufficient, the association can call the bluff of the government, bu for now the government hold the trump cards.

[Enugu II]

MD:

Frankly, if it means sacrifising the U-20 and U-17 then so be it but the Minister and power-drunks like him must be called to order. From what KOC has mentioned, he had the opportunity to make this thing work by having Galadima duly make these announcements. He simply passed it up and chose to show his fangs instead. That cannot be tolerated and I am happy that that message will be sent. While I feel that some of those guys relieved should have been relieved, it was not the Minister's duty to do so.

EII, I hope 'am wrong, but it seems all you are after is for the minister to take the decision and have Galadima announce it! tokenism? So even if the board was not informed about the decision and were not consulted but as long as the NFA chair announce and rubber stamp the appointment it is all well and good. C'mmon, well I hope this is not what you meant by the bolded portions of your post.
If NFA needed to be independent, then they must, I am sick and tired of all these charade

FF:

Actually that is what it would have taken to avoid FIFA problems. Of course, beyond that we could argue on the merits of having the NFA merely rubberstamp the Minister's decision. That is an additional issue.

[GDAY]

"CAUTION" is the word here...

[Enugu II]

MINISTER'S ACTIONS MAY HAVE BEEN HIGH-HANDED, AND DECISIONS DEBATABLE, BUT...

...the performance of the NFA over a long period of time means that it can count on only miniscule public sympathy.
Bell

Bell, great thinking.
Some folks seems to have forgotten the saying that, 'he who pays the piper, dictates the tune'. If the NFA had been able to generate its own funds it would not have been in the predicament it now is. Now the NFA is scoffing at the same government it goes to, 'hat in hand', wanting to maintain organisational control. While the NFA is squabbling with its source of funds, the league's situation remains unresolved, with clubs questioning the boardroom decision on relegations and promotions months after the last season ended. The promised U-20 friendlies are being cancelled, and preparations for the AYC in a few weeks are not tended to. In short incompetence is rampant withing the association.
Maybe if the NFA is totally self sufficient, the association can call the bluff of the government, bu for now the government hold the trump cards.

SSTAR:

While your post points out a lot of truism about government financing it misses one point. The government does not hold the trump card -- ask the government in Kenya, Tanzania, Guinea etc. They will acknowledge that the FA through FIFA leverage holds that trump card. Of course, the government may well respond by starving the association of funds but that my brother will call upon the wrath of the public (see Falcons in South Africa).

[SSTAR]

Enugu II, I see your point.
What then is the use of a bunch of inefficient people doing in the NFA if they cannot be replaced by the ministry that pays their salaries? For all the NFA fumblings, I cannot see how the unproductive members can become 'untouchables' in this case. I believe the minister pointed out some damaging facts like the lack of transparency in monetary accounting.
With time we shall see the end of this power tussle.

[m44]

The minister will come out victorious. Anyone who's wise better stay neutral or SOMEWHAT side with the minister. Given what we have in Nigeria, self-interest can override common interest. Those fighting the minister should realize that he has the President (& the powers that be) behind him.



Lord, protect me from my friends. I can handle my enemies.

[MI5]

Nigeria futbol continues to suffer because some people no wan go. Cheii... This will all come to an end when FIFA bans us for good...

[Sir V]

Nigeria futbol continues to suffer because some people no wan go. Cheii... This will all come to an end when FIFA bans us for good...

Patapata everything go skata, that is what is going on right now.And we the fans are going to suffer at the end of the day.

[MI5]

Na soo Sir V. This just get to show from day one this morons never had the interest or the game they administer at heart except for their own pockets... Bunch of crooks...

Nigeria futbol continues to suffer because some people no wan go. Cheii... This will all come to an end when FIFA bans us for good...

Patapata everything go skata, that is what is going on right now.And we the fans are going to suffer at the end of the day.

[Waffiman]

Its like this: the Minister and the NFA board had agreed in principle that some principal staff of the NFA had to go, starting with Ogunjobi.

It was also agreed that their removal be delayed until after the New Year and the announcement to be made by the NFA chairman. Also, in the revised statutes approved by Fifa, it was stated that the government nominees would serve out their terms.

But the Minister, perhaps wanting to take the glory for sanitising the NFA, went ahead to announced the removals, and did so without the courtesy of informing the board.

Now, the problem here is that the minister's action negates all the good work done at Fifa headquarters.

Decree 101 is what is about to be trashed, and is what has Fifa's Sword of Damocles hanging over Nigeria. But it is under the ambit of the same Decree 101 that the Minister has acted in carrying out his sweeping reforms.

If he had stuck to the original arrangement of allowing the announcement to come from the NFA, this mess would not have arisen at all.

Now we are set for a huge confrontation, because my sources say the Minister is not willing to back down. neither is the NFA.

Thanks Chief for your info.

However, this current situation is not new. This takes me back to the 70s, 80s and 90s. Those who know a bit about the history of our football know the power struggle between the NFA and Sports Ministry/Commission or whatever. This struggle is almost as old as Nigeria. Decree 101 was effective a tool to bring the NFA in line and make the NFA surbodinate body within the Sports ministry.

The Sports Minister knows his position of influence over the NFA via decree 101 is gone, thanks to FIFA. But Minister wan do power show so we have a mess. Why can we not look at the big picture, we do we always have to have personalities become the issue. The issue is about our football and how best to administer it. But we now have a mess because people are puting their vested interests ahead of the real issues.

[ikwerreman]

MINISTER'S ACTIONS MAY HAVE BEEN HIGH-HANDED, AND DECISIONS DEBATABLE, BUT...

...the performance of the NFA over a long period of time means that it can count on only miniscule public sympathy.
Bell

Bell, great thinking.
Some folks seems to have forgotten the saying that, 'he who pays the piper, dictates the tune'. If the NFA had been able to generate its own funds it would not have been in the predicament it now is. Now the NFA is scoffing at the same government it goes to, 'hat in hand', wanting to maintain organisational control. While the NFA is squabbling with its source of funds, the league's situation remains unresolved, with clubs questioning the boardroom decision on relegations and promotions months after the last season ended. The promised U-20 friendlies are being cancelled, and preparations for the AYC in a few weeks are not tended to. In short incompetence is rampant withing the association.
Maybe if the NFA is totally self sufficient, the association can call the bluff of the government, bu for now the government hold the trump cards.

.

ITs not about paying the pipe and dictating the tune. its about a decree called 101 which states that the NFA is subject to the sports ministry.
as long as that decree is there, these things will continue to happen

[Mister Dolly]

MD:

Frankly, if it means sacrifising the U-20 and U-17 then so be it but the Minister and power-drunks like him must be called to order. From what KOC has mentioned, he had the opportunity to make this thing work by having Galadima duly make these announcements. He simply passed it up and chose to show his fangs instead. That cannot be tolerated and I am happy that that message will be sent. While I feel that some of those guys relieved should have been relieved, it was not the Minister's duty to do so.

EnuguII:
As I said somewhere else, if it is true that some of those dismissed by the minister including the SecGen had regularized their appoitments by getting enlisted in the civil service into the Sports Ministry, then the minister had the right to fire them as they are by default his staff. He however should have allowed the board to make the appointments which is where I felt he grossly erred.

Yes, if they were regularized as civil servants but I thought the reports indicated that they had letters indicating appointments by the NFA? As you point out, he had no business making those appointments.

EnuguII:

See the bolded part of the report below. Again if true, Ogunjobi has no leg to stand on and with hindsight must now be regretting the day he took that action albeit with the hope of perpetuating himself in power. The only thing the minister is truly guilty of is appointing replacements rather than allowing the board to do so.

I think a compromise position should be as follows:

1) The FEC should abolish Decree 101 immediately.

2) The NFA board should accept the sacking of those members who were government appointees or under the Ministry's service

3) The Minister should allow the board to appoint the replacements even if those he had appointed as replacements are not chosen.

===============================================

Akinyele, Eseka slam minister over NFA shake-up

By Peter Edema

Snr. Correspondent, Lagos

http://www.independentng.com/sports/sndec280402.htm


Sports Minister, Col. Musa Mohammed (rtd) has been variously criticised over the unilateral sacking of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) management staff last week.

The Minister, in a move that caught football followers napping, announced the sacking of the NFA Secretary General, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi, Head of the Female league, Mrs. Lizzy Onyewenwa and the Head of the Association’s media relations, Sam Kaalu. They were replaced with Chief Segun Odegbami, Henrietta Ukaigwe and Bassey Koma respectively.

The minister also announced an interim board for the professional league and withdrew all government nominees on the board of the NFA.

A FIFA licensed football agent , Chris Eseka, argued that the minister’s action was devoid of any legal backing, though it has the backing of the presidency.

According to Eseka, since the decree that brought the present board into existence was yet to be repealed, the minister’s action lacked the necessary legal backing.

Eseka said though the minister has the power to sack his staff seconded to the NFA, including Ogunjobi, who it was learnt converted his contract letter to that of the ministry’s, he is not competent to appoint a replacement for them. “The minister is not competent to appoint replacement to the board. The best he could have done is to make suggestions to the board. he said.

“If the minister is sacking Ogunjobi for whatever reasons, then appointing Salisu Abubakar on the interim board of the pro-league is wrong. The league was poorly run in 2004 and if Ogunjobi is bad, then Salisu is worse.”

A former Chairman of the defunct National Sports Commission (NSC), Chief Alex Akinyele, noted that the minister’s entourage to FIFA over the decree was a waste of taxpayers’ money, calling for his prosecution.

Meanwhile, the pro-league interim board has revealed plans for what it termed a stakeholders summit on the shape of things to come for professional football management in the country.

[KoC]

It is getting dirtier. While the NFA peeps (esp the SG) are fighting to get the Minister removed from his post, oga Minister himself has taken to the trenches too: he is now dragging them to the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) to try them for fraud.

In the words of one of my Ministry sources "Since they dont want to lose their jobs quietly, now they will also lose their freedom and their dignity."

But my NFA sources also say that they will "finish the Minister".

Gets interestinger and interestinger doesnt it?

[Robbynice]

It is getting dirtier. While the NFA peeps (esp the SG) are fighting to get the Minister removed from his post, oga Minister himself has taken to the trenches too: he is now dragging them to the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) to try them for fraud.

In the words of one of my Ministry sources "Since they dont want to lose their jobs quietly, now they will also lose their freedom and their dignity."

But my NFA sources also say that they will "finish the Minister".

Gets interestinger and interestinger doesnt it?

Na wa oh. E be like say this one dey go the distance. What I don't understand is why Fifa is silence on this matter and why we haven't heard from President Obasanjo. I know soccer is not is forte but he cannot say he doesn't know what is going on.

[Enugu II]

It is getting dirtier. While the NFA peeps (esp the SG) are fighting to get the Minister removed from his post, oga Minister himself has taken to the trenches too: he is now dragging them to the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) to try them for fraud.

In the words of one of my Ministry sources "Since they dont want to lose their jobs quietly, now they will also lose their freedom and their dignity."

But my NFA sources also say that they will "finish the Minister".

Gets interestinger and interestinger doesnt it?

Na wa oh. E be like say this one dey go the distance. What I don't understand is why Fifa is silence on this matter and why we haven't heard from President Obasanjo. I know soccer is not is forte but he cannot say he doesn't know what is going on.

Robbynice:

I can understand FIFA's silence so far because FIFA cannot merely act on media reports. It has been reported that a FIFA official contacted the FA Monday to receive briefing on the announcement. In addition, I am sure FIFA will receive info from the FA board meeting yesterday before making an official announcement.


KOC:

This is Kenya revisited all over. In the Kenyan case the Minister took action citing endemic corruption, the clubs broke away to form a rival league. Eventually, FIFA acted and suspended the country when the Minister refused to rescind his decision to sack the FA. Let us see if FIFA sees this case as different from the Kenyan case. The only key difference that I see is that in Nigeria's case, the structural reform is far more advanced and has been acepted by FIFA.

However, reform or no reform, FIFA would not have accepted ANY provision (Decree 101 or not) where the Minister removes the FA Secretary. Note that the removal of Kojo Williams, a few years back, was orchestrated by the Minister but the actual instrument of removal was the FA board and thus FIFA could do very little. Unfortunately, the current MInister failed to demonstrate this basic "smarts" to achieve the same goal without ruffling major feathers.

[MI5]

Hmm why you no fight for your colleagues also? Hmm abi becos dem no fire you? What a joke and this is the same NFA wey you dey hail everyday as doing their job... I guess is there for all to see...

It is getting dirtier. While the NFA peeps (esp the SG) are fighting to get the Minister removed from his post, oga Minister himself has taken to the trenches too: he is now dragging them to the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) to try them for fraud.

In the words of one of my Ministry sources "Since they dont want to lose their jobs quietly, now they will also lose their freedom and their dignity."

But my NFA sources also say that they will "finish the Minister".

Gets interestinger and interestinger doesnt it?

Na wa oh. E be like say this one dey go the distance. What I don't understand is why Fifa is silence on this matter and why we haven't heard from President Obasanjo. I know soccer is not is forte but he cannot say he doesn't know what is going on.