Gara Gombe says Gusau deserves second term in office, accuses Dikko, Mikel Obi, others of hypocrisy
The Athletics and Others Sports Commission, an NGO that advocates for accountability and transparency in sports has averred that the incumbent NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau deserves another term in office.
The BoT chairman of the organization , Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe, reacting to the recently concluded NFF congress , Gara has given a nod to the passed vote of confidence on the leadership by the congress .
He stated that the vote of confidence passed on NFF President ,Ibrahim Gusau and his team by the Congress in Yenagoa was not unexpected, saying it is their Right to do so.
In an press release in Abuja last Thursday said , “I refrained in recent times in not talking about the management of Sports or Nigerian football generally.First and foremost let me talk about the vote of confidence passed on the NFF leadership.
It is their right and normal to pass a vote of confidence.
“It has a precedent, it is not a new thing.
To think that the vote of confidence passed on Gusau led NFF is the first one, no.It is not. Any offence the Gusau led NFF is said to have been committed, it is 10 times less than what former NFF President Amaju Pinnic committed”
“A vote of confidence on Amaju led NFF was passed.Why should people complain now?
“There was precedence, every single thing the Gusau led NFF had done badly, the worst happened during Amaju Pinnick tenure and a vote of confidence was passed.”
He alleged that Amaju spent eight years destroying Nigerian football, adding that Pinnick mismanage “ our money”.
In his words “when these things were happening, the man leading the National Sports Commission (NSC) today Mallam Shehu Dikko was Amaju’s vice president.
Gara queried that “would there be any reform in Nigerian football with Shehu Dikko in charge?
“those saying the current NFF leadership should go for them to bring another set of leadership, and I ask, where would they go to bring another set of NFF leadership to replace Gusau from?
“If Amaju can do eight Years, Gusau also must finish eight years. All we are doing now is recycling hypocrisy, People talking today, where were they when Amaju Pinnick was there?GUSAU is also a Nigerian.
Gara who described himself as a non-sentimental person, said “I don’t discuss the region you come from or who you are, let the truth be told.
“I have heard some ex-players like Mikel Obi talking nonsense about reforms in NFF, why were they silent for eight years Amaju Pinnic was in office? Mikel Obi was a beneficiary of our football.
“The Mikel Obi that’s talking today, what happened to Vincent Enyeama, one of our best goalkeepers, the most capped player? Mikel Obi was there and he hypocritically kept quiet. Is it now his eyes are open that we need reforms in Nigerian football or Regime Change.
“My friend Harrison Jallah that is now writing, I warned him. When Shehu Dikko came into the office, they were arranging to visit Dikko,I was invited but i refused to go. More than 60 solidarity visits were arranged by various stakeholders,organisations,etc.
Where are they today, all these solidarity visits, what has changed?
“They were doing this because the president Ahmed Bola Tinubu watches television, unlike the late President Buhari.They were running Sports in the Media.The President saw it, He told them I have seen it, you earn it,you deserved it.
But the president didn’t understand that corruption and arranged visits and decay in Nigerian Sports goes beyond Newspaper and television accolades and Solidarity visits.
“When Harrison Jallah told me of a visit to Shehu Dikko, I told him point blank that I will not visit them and that nothing will change.JALLAH said we should give them a chance, they would bring reform to NIGERIAN FOOTBALL and the sector etc, I told JALLAH again that it will not happen.
I am surprised that Jallah suddenly started attacking NFF instead of Attacking those who promised him a REFORM.
“Beside it is not Only Nigeria football that needs Reform.Even the National Sports commission needs Reform.
Look at what is happening in Basketball, Athletics federation,Etc. It runs in a circle,
“Amaju Pinnick led NFF committed more crime than Ibrahim Gusau led NFF.
Did Amaju Pinnic qualified Nigeria for World cup, No. Has money not been mismanaged under Amaju Pinnic, what happened? Nothing.
“Ibrahim Gusau is trying to manage the little he has to run the NFF, We have more money during the Amaju Pinnic tenure in NFF than today.
“Amaju contested for CAF elections based on NFF vote of confidence, even with all his bad Records. And his inordinate ambition made him secure one vote, at a point Amaju boasted he does not need Nigeria, it’s Nigeria that needs him in FIFA, so where’s he now?
“These mishaps will continue to happen in NFF until an investigation is carried out starting from from Aminu Maigari tenure, else, we are going nowhere.
“All these players talking today once visited President Tinubu ,soon after he secured the mandate from his party in 2023. Nwankwo Kanu, Waheed Akanni, Pastor Taribo West JJ Okocha, etc went before Tinubu and could not present any paper on the way forward for Nigerian football.
“Today, they want Regime change claiming they own the game, says who? They didn’t go with an agenda to meet the president.
Now, they want to talk .It was obvious they went for their personal interest.
“No country plan to go to FIFA World Cup in two years, it’s a transition, a programme driven by process and backed by genuine activities.
“I have been speaking about the rot in Nigerian football for over 25 years and no one listens to.me.
“NFF Congress has the right to pass a vote of confidence on its leadership and I saw it coming.
“I hate this selective attack, Nigeria football got this bad when Amaju Pinnick and Shehu Dikko led NFF for eight years.
“Reform must begin from the top. NSC must initiate it by putting its board together to Manage the National sports commission and Account for Tax payers money in the last five years. Gombe concluded.
