By Barrister Uche Onochie, Abuja
How ICPC, EFCC shield alleged “ illegal “ NFF officials from diligent prosecution
By Barrister Uche Onochie, Abuja
Recent invitation of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to the leadership of the illegal Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to report at its headquarters with their passports has further heightened suspicion that ICPC, EFCC, former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami and other anti-graft agencies, are once again playing their usual game that only ends in killing prosecution of series of huge refusal by football authorities to render accounts , this is t given the clear alleged playing of the Ostrich game in which they show series of yellow and red cards resulting in courts not being able to advance prosecution
The Guinness Book of Records can attest to the fact that no parastatal has been investigated by anti-graft agencies than the NFF, over issues bordering on alleged large scale malfeasance, corruption and stealing, which further confirms, what the former Senate President, David Mark said in 2011 that the NFF is the most corrupt parastatal in the world.
Why did the ICPC invite the illegal NFF that is clearly used by football administrators in Nigeria over the years to siphon government budgets for football, passed in the name of NFA as authorised by the NFA ACT ? .
My source revealed that it was over the alarm raised by Mohammed Sanusi, NFF General Secretary accusing the Shehu Dikko-led National Sports Commission of usurping their power insisting that Dikko has received N8 billion, so far for four World Cup qualifying matches without recourse to the NFF.
Unfortunately, the money went down the drain as usual and the Super Eagles World Cup dream has seemingly evaporated like the morning dew. Yet, no anti-graft agency will call the parties : DIKKO/ Sanusi to explain how N8 billion was spent given serial poor results
But is the NFF a legal Body?, you want to ask. The Supreme Court has ,in many cases , affirmed that the NFF IS UNKNOWN TO LAWS OF NIGERIA AND NOT ENTITLED TO GOVERNMENT SUBVENTION. SO WHO IS BELLING THIS ILLEGAL CAT, NFF ?
As a lawyer, one is worried that there is clear illegal criminal connection between these bodies.
As I write , there are no less than five criminal cases, including even the Special Presidential Investigation Panel, SPIP report, filed by ICPC against NFF , SHEHU DIKKO, Amaju PINNICK and others RELATING TO HUGE ALLEGATIONS OF FINANCIAL MISAPPROPRIATION OF FEDERAL BUDGETED football administration revenues.
These criminal matters were adjourned at the instance of the Federal Ministry of Justice when Abubakar Malami was the Minister on the grounds that the Ministry wanted to consolidate the numerous criminal cases in court into two cases.
No less than five years post this abuse of court process, the criminal cases are yet to see the light of the day and our football is hugely suffering due to unending illegal diversion of huge public funds by those administering our national game
Till date, the NFF is the only (otherwise court pronounced illegal parastatal) in Nigeria that receives and criminally diverts budgeted funds .
Unfortunately, this is no issue in the eyes of the ICPC and EFCC officers as the NFF becomes a sacred cow to steal public funds, in spite of the Supreme Court ruling , which affirms Justice Donatus Okorowo’s judgment that only the Nigeria Football Association, NFA, has the constitutional rights to run football in Nigeria. While delivering a landmark judgment in 2010, Justice Donatus Okorowo in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/170/2010 stated “…the Nigeria Football Association was established under Section 1 of the Nigeria Football Association Act as a body corporate with perpetual succession and common seal with power to sue and be sued.
“By these provisions, it is the only body recognized by Nigerian Law to manage football . The Law did not make reference to it as Nigeria Football Federation. The name under which it is charged to manage football under the Law is Nigeria Football Association.
“It has no power to address itself as Nigeria Football Federation.”
The judgment was affirmed by the Supreme Court in several judgments thus rendering all the activities of the NFF since 2010 null and void.
Why are the anti-graft agencies romancing and protecting an illegal body like the NFF and individuals like Amaju Pinnick and Shehu Dikko? Not too long ago, the ICPC and EFCC sealed Pinnick Amaju, Shehu Dikko and the Dollar man, Mohammed Sanusi’s houses in both Lagos, Abuja and the United Kingdom over allegations of corruption. But as said earlier here ,the investigation is still in the cooler.
Let’s also remember the Police damning report on Shehu Dkko in 2014 describing Dikko as dangerous fellow poised to work against the interest of Nigeria. Retired late IGP, Solomon Arase who investigated Dikko warned that the man is not a fit and proper person to occupy any public office. Arase report is in the public domain for those who may want to go through.
Let’s also remember that Dikko, as LMC Chairman and Salihu Abubakar who was LMC Chief Operation Officer were sentenced to jail for criminal football related offence in Jos, Plateau State.
The duo criminally jumped prison sentence without state pardon. And today, the prisoners at large are running National Sports Commission as Chairman of NIGERIA SPORTS COMMISSION! And Secretary in Chairman Dikko’s office at NSC. WHAT A TRAVESTY!
The news in Abuja right now has been Dikko’s bragging of having Court of Appeal judgment on his prison sentence in Jos and also a clearance from the court about the Arase Police Report’s indictment. The simple thing he should do is to make these judgments public, otherwise he should keep quiet forever.
As a reminder, among the criminal cases against the NFF which Malami allegly ‘killed’ included embezzlement of FIFA’s $8.6m 2014 World Cup grant, $10m 2018 World Cup grant among other streams of FIFA and CAF developmental funds, as well as sponsorship money from corporate bodies between 2014 and 2022, all under Amaju as President and Mohammed Sanusi as Secretary General and Dikko as Vice President.
Also investigation confirmed that some of the funds were warehoused and withdrawn through private companies like Financial Derivatives and Mediterranean Sports, allegedly CO-owned by Amaju and Dikko.
Another case which awaits refilling is the untraceable NIKE contract sponsorship money which the FOOTBALL BODY also embezzled.
As I round up, it is apt to conclude that Nigeria’s football is very clearly more in jeopardy under criminal, jail bird that have held sway since 2014
