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November 26, 2019

November 26, 2019November 26, 2019 IFMSPORTS

FIFA Women’s U20 World Cup: Pinnick, Ahmad Rift May Deny Nigeria Hosting Rights

Unless there is a rapprochement between CAF President Ahmad and his former Second Vice President and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Amaju Pinnick, Nigeria may have lost the chance of hosting the widely speculated 2020 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.

The seemingly ‘made in heaven marriage’ between Ahmad and Pinnick under the ‘change mantra’ that led to the ouster of former FIFA Acting President Issa Hayatou as CAF supremo in charge of the continental body for 29 years, has since broken down irreconcilably with the spill-over effects on Nigerian football interest.

Though a five-team FIFA Inspection committee was in Nigeria in August for a detailed inspection of the four designated venues in Lagos, Asaba, Benin City and Uyo, the world soccer ruling body has yet to make a categorical statement on the suitability or otherwise of Nigeria to be the first country in Africa to host a global women’s championship.

“There are no two ways about it, FIFA recalcitrant attitude towards Nigeria over the hosting rights for the 2020 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup is as a result of the squabble between Pinnick and Ahmad,” a usual reliable source with deep knowledge of the workings of both FIFA and CAF told NationSport on condition of anonymity.

In July, Pinnick was relieved of his duties as the first Vice-President of CAF – a position he occupied for just a year as a replacement for Ghana’s Kwesi Nyantakyi who resigned due to allegations of corrupt practices.

“It’s unfortunate that Nigerian football is in this mess ; how will anybody tell us that Nigeria can’t host the 2020 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup when the same championships had in the past held in neighbourhood parks?” our source lamented.

“Of course, FIFA would have long confirm Nigeria as host for the 2020 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup if not for the problem between Pinnick and Ahmad. It’s no secret that Ahmad doesn’t want to come to Nigeria especially with Pinnick still in charge of the NFF. That is the unfortunate situation we have found ourselves?” noted the experienced football administrator who is miffed with the running of the game at the domestic front.

Nigerian football has indeed been in a state of comatose with free fall of all the national teams save for the Super Eagles following the poor performances of Golden Eaglets, Olympic Eagles, CHAN Eagles, Supersand Eagles at major international tournaments.

The source also said the NFF is becoming rudderless under the current administration, adding “Pinnick and his lieutenants must wake up from their slumber. Our football has never sunk to this level.

“The NFF can’t even conduct its own affairs without going cap in hand to state governments. Imagine they can’t even promptly organise the Annual General Meeting (AGM) which should naturally have been captured in the federation’s annual budget?

“The AGM has twice been postponed now. It was to be held in Uyo when Nigeria played Benin but it was moved to Benin and I understand, it has been moved to December again,” he bemoaned.

November 6, 2019

November 6, 2019November 6, 2019 IFMSPORTS

FG withdraws corruption charges against Pinnick, four others

The Federal Government on Tuesday withdrew the corruption charges instituted against five officials of the Nigeria Football Association, including its president, Amaju Pinnick.

The four other NFF officials joined as co-defendants in the case are secretary-general, Sunusi Mohammed; 1st vice president, Seyi Akinwumi; 2nd vice president, Shehu Dikko and an executive member, Yusuff Fresh.

The case which was instituted in May 2019 by the now disbanded Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property, involved the alleged misappropriation of the sums of $8.4m and N4bn belonging to the NFF by the five defendants.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu struck out the case on Tuesday after a lawyer from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Musa, announced the decision of the government to withdraw the case.

But following the removal of the Chairman of SPIP Okoi Obono-Obla, by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), was directed to take over the cases being prosecuted by the panel.

Musa, the prosecuting counsel who appeared in the case on Tuesday, informed the judge that the government decided to withdraw the case in order to review it and decide the appropriate action to be taken on it.

The application for withdrawal was not opposed by defence lawyer, Mohammed Katu.

The disbanded SPIP had in the case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/93/2019 accused the NFF officials of alleged misappropriation of $8,400,000 belonging to the football body.

The money was said to have been paid by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association to the NFF as appearance fees in the group stage of the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

The defendants were also accused of “moving dishonestly and intentionally the sum of about N4bn” belonging to the NFF without the consent of the NFF.

October 16, 2019

October 16, 2019October 16, 2019 IFMSPORTS

ICPC PROBES MORE INTO NFF

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission have invited more officials of the Nigeria Football Federation for questioning over the ongoing corruption investigation.

The ICPC is currently investigating officials of the NFF over alleged corruption and “having more than what they could have earned.”

In the first phase of the investigation, no fewer than 15 properties belonging to NFF president, Amaju Pinnick; NFF Head Technical Committee, Ahmed Yusuf; NFF second vice president, Shehu Dikko; and General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, were seized.

Checks by The PUNCH on Tuesday revealed that apart from Head, Women’s Football Unit, NFF, Ruth David, that was earlier invited, NFF’s first vice president, Seyi Akinwunmi, was also invited.

Both David and Akinwunmi are not part of the four officials whose properties were seized by the ICPC and no case has been publicly established against them yet.

Sources in the ICPC told our correspondent that the officials were invited to answer questions relating to their involvement in the ongoing investigation of the football ruling body.

“Seizure of the properties is the first phase of the investigation. Many officials of the NFF are under investigation and this is another phase,” the source added.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the ICPC, Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, refused to give details of the ICPC’s officials questioning sessions with the newly invited NFF officials.

She also declined to comment on the extent of the investigation, but confirmed that Akinwunmi was invited.

“Yes, he (Akinwunmi) was invited, but he came here last week. Investigation is ongoing,” she added.

Asked when the NFF officials may be arraigned, the ICPC spokesperson responded, “Our investigation is still ongoing. These things have stages, when we get to that stage, we will act accordingly.”

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