Nigeria Content Online

The federal government is ready to go the full trot
to sanitize our country’s football house and even though it is liaising
with the world football organising body FIFA over its decision to
suspend the Super Eagles, it is ready to damn the consequences of its
action, the minister of Sports, Ibrahim Bio, said yesterday in Abuja.

Following the poor outing of the Super Eagles, our
country’s football team, in the on-going World Cup in South Africa,
Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday directed that Nigeria be withdrawn from
all international football competitions for the next two years.

Mr Bio, who met with the press at the presidential
villa yesterday, said the government can no longer live with the rot in
the football house simply because it wants to avoid FIFA sanctions.

“My friend, you cannot have cancer and continue to
live with it because you don’t want to spill blood; we are ready to
spill blood to remove the cancer,” he said.

The minister added that the government is more
concerned about the interest and sovereignty of the country and people
who are so passionate about football on this issue than what FIFA might
say.

“As you are all aware, Nigeria is so passionate about
sports and we are trying to have a deliberate policy whereby we can
encourage our local league to be very attractive so that not every time
we have to be looking to foreign-based players and when they are not
available we continue to wait,” he said.

The minister also said that the government is trying
to liaise with FIFA in order to get things done without necessarily
violating FIFA rules. He also said that the country cannot continue
with the old order, where the needed synergy between the ministry and
the Nigeria Football federation (NFF) is lacking.

“Nigeria will do everything possible to take the
interest and sovereignty of Nigeria first and foremost, and if that is
in conformity with FIFA rules, so be it, but if it is not in conformity
with FIFA rules, I think the sovereignty of Nigeria and interests of
the people is most paramount,” he said.

“Again, a situation whereby we have competitions and
there seems to be no proper coordination between the supervisory
ministry and NFF does not augur well for our football. Nobody is taking
anybody’s job but in the interest of this country, people should be
able to talk and do things better. What we presented at the World Cup,
was a shame.”

Lack of commitment

Mr Bio identified lack of commitment on the part of
the players as a problem that must be addressed, saying some of the
misses by our players showed complete lack of commitment on their part.

“I cannot imagine an international player misses a
goal that is almost two to three metres to the net and he is laughing
or smiling; there is no sign of regret,” he said. “That is the level of
patriotism that gets Nigerian government concerned. They should show
some sense of remorse and regret so that the people will not say that
it was an intended action.

“Invariably, what we want to do is to get people who by their
experience will restructure and reorganise our football and start right
from the grass roots, invigorate the clubs and encourage more football
academy where we can get young men to replace the present ones. That
takes time and experience.” Former minister of interior, Demola Seriki,
who was at the presidential villa, said the federal government’s action
is the best for us given the way the way football is going in our
country. He, however, said once the issue of football administration is
tackled, he does not see the country staying away for that long from
the international football scene.