Nigeria Content Online

With each passing
day it becomes clearer to even the most incurable optimists that the
gentlemen in the glass house called the Nigeria Football Federation,
(NFF), are operating on a planet different from the rest of us.

Sani Lulu and his
team, particularly the duo of Bolaji Ojo’Oba, the secretary general,
and Taiwo Ogunjobi, chairman of the Technical Committee, seem to be
embarked on a mission, which known only to themselves, is sure to end
in the ruin of Nigerian football, if left unchecked.

From the conduct of
the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, where ignoring the rather obvious fact
that the Eagles technical crew was too insipid to inspire the team to
greater performance and thus nearly imperilled our appearance in this
June’s World Cup, to the merry go round that was the selection of a new
coach for the squad following Shuaibu Amodu’s sack in February, the NFF
has proven to be grossly incompetent.

The Hampshire horror

If the two issues
referred to above can be excused on grounds of the magnanimity of the
Nigerian spirit, the conduct of Lulu and company regarding the
selection of a hotel for the Eagles World Cup campaign in South Africa
clearly cannot be condoned.

That the NFF
leadership could choose a hotel not on the list of those approved by
FIFA, and one that was clearly below acceptable standards, raises
serious questions as to the motive of Lulu and his men.

When this paper ran
photos of the hotel alongside an in-depth report of its location and
available facilities, it was clear to Nigerians that something was
wrong somewhere. Apart from its location, which was awkward for a team
participating in a World Cup and so would need a serene and secure
environment, the Hampshire hotel, without a perimeter fence to screen
off unwanted individuals, posed some danger to the squad.

This point, Sports Minister Ibrahim Bio was to make when he visited the hotel last week to assess its suitability.

Thankfully, Bio,
who since his assumption as the new boss of the sports ministry has not
allowed the cabal ruining Nigerian sports to lead him by the nose, has
scuppered whatever under hand deal must have transpired between the NFF
management that led Lulu and his lieutenants to settle for the facility.

Carrying the can

Still Lulu should
not be let off lightly. After his faux pas, he remains unrepentant. On
Monday in Lagos, the NFF boss, to head off negative reports following
Bio’s decision to discard the hotel arranged a parley with journalist
where he said: “If given the opportunity again, I will go for Hampshire
Hotel.”

“My priority since
I got the mandate to lead NFA is to give the best. We are not to be
blamed for anything. The whole thing is from FIFA. They are the ones
who normally accommodate World Cup teams. But instead, they preferred
to pay $400 per player for a day’s accommodation. It is based on what
we have that we decided to settle in Hampshire which of course was also
approved by FIFA. FIFA is in charge of security and they don’t toy with
it.”

It was Amodu and
Peterside that got the hotel. The first day that I led delegation to
the hotel, I pointed out areas like the fencing and other areas which
the owners of the hotel promised to amend. When the new coach, Lars
Lagerback came on board, he liked the place but preferred Richardson,”
added Lulu.

It is all very nice and convenient for Lulu to shift responsibility for picking the hotel to Amodu.

However, every responsible leader knows that the buck for decisions taking by his organisation stops on his table.

However, allowing
that he deferred to Amodu as coach of the team in approving Hampshire
as Eagles base, why he did he not then respect Lagerback’s wishes and
opt for Richards Bay since the Swede had taken over as manager of the
Eagles?

As it is, his indiscretion will cost us a princely $125,000 (about N19 million) going by FIFA’s ruling.

The NFF must be
made to pay this sum. This can be deducted from whatever subvention is
due to the NFF from the sports ministry. If deducting it inconveniences
the NFF in any way, then Lulu and his cronies should find a way to fill
the void. That is the least they can do to atone for their incompetence.