The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Executive Member and Chairman of the NFF Technical and Development Committee, Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf ‘Fresh’ has debunked the untrue story being circulated by an online media outlet, InsideGlassHouse that; he has capitulated to supporting the third term ambition of the NFF President, Mr. Amaju Pinnick.

According to the said inaccurate report; “The LMC Chairman Shehu Dikko and NFF Executive Committee Member Ahmed Yusuf ‘Fresh’ have finally given up their ambition to lead Nigeria Football and have instead gone ahead to tell some members of the NFF Congress they will now support Amaju Pinnick’s bid for a third term in office.”

The Niger State Football Association Chairman has called the news unhealthy and urged the public to discard the inaccurate news report published by the online organization on July 31st.

“It is unhealthy to spread the rumor of pledge or support to the incumbent and perhaps, any of the NFF Presidential aspirants, which is not even known to me. We are not even at this stage yet and I didn’t meet with any group to pledge my support to any individual. We have been focused on various projects with the National Teams and the task on the Technical Committee desk makes it difficult to think about Football politics right now; We just want to continue working and to keep our football pedigree at the Top.

“To set the record straight without being perfidious but in a statutory way, the entire NFF congress members are the people who have the right to vote in or for any of the NFF Presidential aspirants and Executive Members and not Yusuf Fresh or Mallam Dikko as inaccurately reported in the media publication.

“The decision to vote whoever wants to be NFF President would be decided on the floor of the NFF Elective Congress. This is statutory process and it has been like that from time immemorial, and no one would bypass what is enshrined, and established in the constitution, which is also backed by the NFF Statute.

“It’s actually nauseating and unthinkable to ascribe the ‘Inalienable rights’ of over 40 people to me, Dikko, Ibrahim Gusau or any of the Executive Members as the influencers of who becomes the NFF President at the expense of other congress men Will or Right to Vote; This, I believe would be a way of paying less regard to their Importance in the Electoral process.

“I urge the general public, especially the entire Football stakeholders in Nigeria to filter away the said news, as we focus on the task ahead systematically,” said Yusuf.

SIGNED: Olaoluwa Aro;
Senior Special Adviser to Ahmed Yusuf ‘Fresh’ on Media and Publicity.

On the eve of the NFF Election in Katsina, the workaholic Dan Arewa was moving from pillar to posts, ensuring that everything needed to be done, was perfectly done.

As host, Kurfi wanted to make history as the brain behind one of football’s best conducted elective congress ever. but on D-day, the enemies showed up from the blues, with a court order stopping the election.

Unknowingly to them, the congress was better equipped for such eventualities and managed to conduct one of the best NFF Elections ever in the history of Nigeria football.

An election that got the blessings of the emir of Daura and had the endorsement of the people and government of Katsina state.

That day, will remain indelible in the hearts of true stakeholders of the beautiful game.

Balele as he is fondly called by admirers is a man of truth and Fairplay, a promoter of justice and tranquility, a man who stands for fairness at all time. He will go to any length to get the right thing done and done very well.

Four years after that glorious outing in Katsina state, four years after he stood for the right thing to be done, Balele is back, trying to rewrite history.

For him, the struggle this time is not for any form of personal gains but to set the records straight.

Coincidentally, some of those men he frustrated four years ago are now his meanest pals in this new struggle. Their mission, they say is to liberate Nigeria football.

They have been at the sidelines for eight years as a few friends, operating under the umbrella of Executive committee of the Nigeria football federation juggle around with our passion and our joy. They have watched with utmost patience as Nigeria football struggled to live up to expectation and to worsen matters, the nation came to a standstill as Ghana booted our dear Super Eagles out of the 2022 World Cup race.

For these men, that was the highpoint of many years of doom and gloom, many years of frustration and failures and now they say, enough is enough!

Aware that members of the present executive committee are hiding under the umbrella of a pending court order, to prolong their stay in office, Alhaji Aminu Kurfi, met with a few friends, to seek a way out of the logjam and after several meetings, they have decided to give the NFF executive committee an ultimatum to find a way around the existing court case and set in motion, modalities for fresh NFF Election.

Balele has no secret ambitions, he is on the threshold of history after winning the APC primaries in his constituency and now look set to become a representative of Kuffi South constituency in the federal house of representative.

Even as he looks ahead to this amazing future, he is not ready to allow a few individuals rubbish the name this great country has made in football. That explains his decision to team up with other FA chairmen in this fresh agitation to drag Nigeria football out of the mud.

At their very first meeting held at the popular Reno Hotel in Abuja, seventeen FA chairmen signed an undertaking to stay committed to their vow. That was followed by two other meetings which focusee on just one agenda.

They are appealing to the NFF Executive committee to immediately set in motion, modalities to get the existing court case in a federal high court in Bayelsa state, stopping the congress of the NFF from calling an extraordinary meeting that would have announced an electoral committee for the forthcoming NFF Election and fixed a date for fresh election. All they seek is a way out of the logjam

Coincidentally, this plea has a federal backing as the presidency earlier on Monday, directed the NFF to immediately put in place an electoral committee and set in motion modalities for fresh NFF elections on September 30, 2022.

The Balele Clamour is now yielding fruits and in a matter of days, the dust hovering around Nigeria football will get clearer and the picture of what tomorrow will look like will be unveiled. All thanks to Alhaji Aminu Kurfi (Balele).

By Adewale Ajayi

The Nigeria Football Federation and the Government of Maryland have
highlighted and agreed on a number of co-operation programmes designed
to enhance the development of football in the country Nigeria and the
State of Maryland, an important mid-Atlantic State in the United
States of America.

At a meeting in Baltimore, Maryland on Wednesday, 30th June 2021,
President of the NFF and a Member of the FIFA Council, Mr Amaju Melvin
Pinnick and the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, Boyd Rutherford
agreed on a number of collaborative areas including but not limited to
minimum of one friendly match with Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Super
Falcons in FIFA window opportunities; utilization of the platform to
create a symbiotic economic relationship in broader areas of economic
development; leveraging of the Baltimore-Maryland 2026 platform/assets
to create added value for NFF Sponsors for broader activations; focus
on youth development programmes and; the development of a formal
sister city relations to cover football development and stadium
management.

Baltimore, the largest city in the State of Maryland, is a candidate
city for hosting of matches of the 48 –team 2026 FIFA World Cup
finals, which has already been awarded to the triumvirate of USA,
Mexico and Canada.

Pinnick, who was in Baltimore on a specific invitation by the
Government of Maryland, said he was enthusiastic about the agreement
and wished Baltimore-Maryland good luck in its desire to be a Host
City for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals. The invite was premised on
the enormous respect that the Government of Maryland has for Nigeria
as a nation and the NFF as an institution. Lieutenant Governor
Rutherford confessed to being a great fan of the Super Eagles, who
dazzled the world in an impressive debut at the FIFA World Cup in the
USA 27 years ago, while the Nigeria U23 squad (with many players of
the same Super Eagles’ team), spectacularly won Africa’s first Olympic
football gold also in the USA two years later.

The meeting was foregrounded by the Super Falcons’ debut in the
popular USWNT Summer Series with matches in the State of Texas, where
the nine-time African champions squared up to four-time world
champions and four-time Olympic champions USA for the first time in a
friendly match, and actually mounted a spirited fight despite losing
0-2. It also came three days before the Nigeria National Team’s clash
with Mexico’s Senior Team in another friendly in the State of
California.

The occasion equally held against the background of the fact that in a
post-pandemic world, strategic partnerships, collaborations and
symbiotic relationships will rule the roost. Both Pinnick and
Rutherford were sanguine about the incipient relationship fanning out
to the wider canvass of concrete economic and infrastructural
benefits.

Also present at the meeting were Terry Hasseltine (President of
Baltimore-Maryland 2026 World Cup Host Candidate City); Bunmi Jinadu
(Special Advisor, Baltimore-Maryland 2026); Mark Newgent (Deputy Chief
of Staff to Maryland Lt. Governor); Al Hutchinson (President, Visit
Baltimore); Ted Carter (Baltimore City’s Deputy Mayor for Community
and Economic Development); Michael Huber (Chief of Staff to Baltimore
Mayor Brandon Scott); Graham Whaples (Media Relations,
Baltimore-Maryland 2026); Michael J. Frenz (Executive Director,
Maryland Stadium Authority) and; Roy Sommerhof (Senior Vice President,
Stadium Operations).

According to the Fifa Council member Pinnick Amaju “we want to keep the Super Eagles busy in this coming next month knowing fully well bulk of the leagues in Europe would have come to and end and after they rest a while, they should engage in top grade friendly in order to keep the boys in better shape ahead of world Cup qualifiers which is crucial for us as a Nation”

Shedding more light, is the Delta State born administrator “it has has always been our Philosophy to get grade A friendly for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, if you look at our track records we always get friendly matches that can put the team in shape and for cohesion of the team and the forthcoming one is not an exception”

Super Eagles have been able to qualified for the last nation cup and this coming one in cameroon were due to better preparation and well qualities friendly matches the team always play before any major qualifiers.

“There have been good and Quality preparations so far and I think we’ve got quality young lads in the team hopefully the next African Cup of Nation might just be the time for the Super Eagle to have a podium performance again.”

The Fifa Council member concluded by saying the world cup quallfiers demand adequate preparation.

Nigeria Football Federation President and FIFA Council Member Amaju Pinnick was present at the Otunba Dipo Dina International Stadium as the NWFL Premiership Super 6 opened in spectacular form as Delta Queens won 2-1 against Edo Queens on Monday evening.

Pinnick who was accompanied by the Edo State Deputy Governor, Phillip Shuaibu, Delta State Commissioner for Sports, Tonobok Okowa, Chief Solomon Ogba and Dr. Kweku Tandoh hailed the NWFL leadership for hosting a well organised Super 6 Competition, which will determine who will represent Nigeria at the CAF Women Champions League.

” I must say I am well satisfied with what I saw today, the level of play, the organisation as well as the reception.

“The homebased players are as competent as the foreign based players and I think some of these players are good enough to play for the Super Eagles. We are proud of the good works Aisha Falode is doing and we shall continue to give her all the necessary supports.

“I am satisfied with the standard of officiating, and as a body, the NFF, NWFL does not believe in mediocrity. The the true winner will eventually emerge at the end of the day.” He concluded.

The ceremony had in attendance the Executive Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Olorogun David Edevbie; Chairman of Hussey College Warri Old Students Association, Chief Emmanuel Ogidi; Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr; Rohr’s assistant and former Nigeria captain Joseph Yobo; new NFF Technical Director, Austin Eguavoen; Chairman of Brownhill Foundation Anthony Bekederemo; Chairman of Delta State FA Kenneth Nwamoucha; ex-international players, current and former teachers of the institution and other top government personalities.

Speaking on the reason for the donation of the sports facilities, Pinnick stated that it is a move to resurrect the glory days of the institution which saw it produce great football stars who had stints with the national teams, and also to encourage the discovery of new talents.

“Hussey College is known to have produced a high number of players for the various Nigeria National Teams in the past but that trend has long ended and the donation and presentation of these facilities is to bring that tradition back. I believe proper education goes hand-in-hand with the development of sports in schools, and that is the reason we have seen school sports help change the lives of so many people,” Pinnick stated.

Also speaking, Governor Okowa, through Olorogun David Edevbie, commended the gesture by Brownhill Foundation and also charged the school to put the facilities into good use and ensure properly maintenance.

“This is a very good gesture and I must commend Mr Pinnick and his Foundation for this laudable project. A lot of people don’t understand what sports have become. In the more developed nations, sport is seen as big business. I believe it is not only Hussey College that will benefit from this project; the whole of Delta State will,” Edevbie posited.

Chairman of the Old Students Association of Hussey College, Emmanuel Ogidi also joined in the commendations whilst encouraging the students to ensure they protect and help maintain the facilities.

Brownhill, through its chairman Anthony Bekederemo used the occasion to announce that 23 students from the college will benefit from scholarships from the Foundation. The foundation also gave out Volleyball jerseys and balls to the school. In a show of appreciation to his chemistry teacher, Mrs. Mercy Onuwaje, who according to him played a major role in his educational development, Mr Pinnick handed her the keys to a brand new car. 

Also to commemorate the event, a novelty match was played between Hussey College Old Students and ex-internationals which paraded stars like Christian Obodo, Sam Sodje, Joseph Yobo, Austin Eguavoen, Clement Temile, Austin Popo, Baldwin Bazuaye to name a few. The game ended 1-1

The panel, headed by Okon Obono-Obla who is now on the run to avoid prosecution by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission, ICPC had filed a 16 –count charge against Pinnick, Seyi Akinwunmi (1^st Vice President), Shehu Dikko (2^nd Vice President), Mohammed Sanusi (General Secretary) and Ahmed Yusuf (Executive Committee member) with wild claims of alleged corruption against the men, and even subjected them to extensive media trial at home and abroad. Among the charges were misappropriation of the sums of $8.4million and N4billion, conflict of interest and non-declaration of assets.

At a point, now –fleeing Obono-Obla wrote to the Confederation of African Football, CAF twisting all the facts with regards to Nigeria’s participation in the CAF Congress of 2015.

On Tuesday, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu dismissed the entire case with all 16 charges, and acquitted the NFF chieftains in consideration of the submission of the defence and the prosecution and in line with the rules of administration of criminal justice.

The clean bill is a confirmation of the position of the NFF on all swirling allegations of corruption against its officials. Nigeria’s supreme football –governing body has always insisted that its leaders were being victimized by persons who lost elections through the ballot and were seeking other means to upturn things at Glass House, or disgruntled individuals simply on a mission of vendetta.

Only last month, a motion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to remove the names of Pinnick and Sanusi from the witnesses’ category and add them to the list of accused persons in a case at the FCT High Court over the same $8.4million FIFA Grant was put on hold after the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation submitted that it was taking over the case with a view to ascertaining its validity, seeing that same persons were being charged spuriously in different courts and/or investigated by several agencies over the same allegations hewed out of petitions by the same individuals.  

At the court on Tuesday, a counsel from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, which had taken over the case, said it could not proceed with the matter as the proof of evidence could not sustain the charges. NFF’s counsel adduced reasons why the charges could not be sustained:

1.  The SPIP Investigation Report dated April 30, 2019 filed in the Honourable Court as Exhibit 7 in the Proof of Evidence and its Findings as contained in page 13 to 21 cleared the NFF officials of all allegations, based on the petition investigated by the Panel.

2. A review of the certified true copy of the NFF Bank account with the Central Bank of Nigeria found that there was no transaction of N4Billion or any amount whatsoever on November 3, 2018 as alleged in the charges filed by SPIP. It was also found that the total inflow into the said NFF account for the whole of 2018 is far less than N1billion, confirming that the alleged N4billion never existed anywhere in the first instance.

In the circumstances, the Defence Counsel applied to the court to dismiss the charges and also discharge and acquit the NFF chieftains, since the proof of evidence could not sustain the charges. The AGF office counsel did not have any objection to this submission by the defence.

The judge then ruled that in view of these facts, she had no option than to discharge and acquit the defendants on all counts, wondering why the case was brought to the court in the first place.

Defence Counsel, Barrister Sani Katu, put the issues in perspective: “The matter was adjourned till today to allow time for investigation as to whether the defendants should be arraigned or not by the Office of the Attorney General which had taken over the matter. The Office of the Attorney General went and investigated the matter and discovered that the proof of evidence could not sustain the charges. On that basis, the Office of the AGF applied to withdraw the charges and the consequence is that the defendants should be discharged and acquitted from all 16 charges, to which the court agreed.”