BETWEEN MAIGARI AND JALLA, WHO LOVES FOOTBALL MORE?

Maigari (l) and Jalla (r)...compare and contrast

I have read and carefully followed the series of efforts launched by the administrators of football in Nigeria (they never played the game) against the age long entry of former players of the game, especially those who played in the national teams and in the professional ranks either at home or abroad;

Some years on, unlike a cross section of ex-players who throng the Glass House begging for coaching crumbs, Sunday Oliseh, another graduate who played football emerged. He was quickly nibbed in the bud as a “bad boy”. Thence, cometh one Harrison Jalla who championed a players’ union, the National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF).

Sani Abdullahi Lulu, while he held sway as President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), sensing those he allegedly called “impostors” quickly designed a media never to allow them have a united voice in matters of football in the country lest they will threaten and take over the reign. He used Dahiru Sadi and Austin Popo to splinter the group.

I remember as the Deputy Group Sports Editor of ThisDay newspaper how Jalla and Popo will bring press releases both to our Wharff Road office and in the National Stadium in Lagos. Popo and co were sponsored to leave the mother union and the splinter group was given official NFF stamp. Does that make the mother union illegal or less legal?

THE COURT ORDERS AND NANF: The moment NANF under the aegis and guidance of Harrison Jalla went to Federal High Court in Lagos, she filed a matter that spoke the minds of Nigerians who want football development here. The defendants submitted their jurisdictions to that court. The issue is, did they forget to contest the legality or otherwise of the NANF? Why suddenly waking up when NANF returned to fight the shade of rascality of the NFF to simple agreements midwived by Dr Amos Adamu in an Out-of-Court settlement. The NFF felt victorious and reneged on the terms.

NFF suddenly wrote FIFA complaining against FIFA. When FIFA replied they decided to broadcast the reply of FIFA showing that Jalla’s NANF is the original fake! Uhm!! Let the NFF show us what they have written to FIFA on NANF.

MAIGARI VS JALLA: to understand the background to this matter, remember that Lulu had sworn to some of his close pals that the ex-international players who he called “impostors” will never get to the board of the NFF last year August. With the likes of Christian Chukwu, Austin Okocha, Dominic Iorfa etc all failed. Chukwu tried again in the January 2011 elections and was edged out again.

Davidson Owumi having gotten the NPL was to be forced out “at all costs”. He had been forced out. There is another directive that he should be protested to FIFA to ban him for going to a civil court. The team to deliver the task is already working. So we expect FIFA to in a matter of days ban Owumi and thus, create a room for him not to contest his fairly won seat.

Visit the reasons for why and how Princess Bola Jegede and Aisha Falode were helped to “lose” the January election. The NFF committed fraud in the bid to make Ms. Dili Onyedinma to “win” the election.

The question: Jalla has only innocently fought the game that has brought him name and fame. All his activities were to promote the ideal and correct paths to manage the game in the country. Scan through all the issues between Jalla and the NFF again and see who is the true angel and who is the devil in these matters.

MY LETTER TO FIFA: I studied the situation on ground and felt it is better to document the issues as I believed them. I wrote FIFA complaining against the NFF and its threat to destroy Nigerian football. I copied the NFF and served them. I have heard all manners of propaganda planned against my person. I am not in hurry to run against them like some of my friends advised. I am waiting. I will be ready to make the petition available in the open public space in matters of hours.

Let it be known that sooner than later, football will breach the nation’s security and threaten the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with the way they are going. Had they the option, all those who are making them not to have their ugly ways would have been sent to the Gulag Archipelago. Those who made peaceful change impossible in the old Russian and French Revolutions, like that of Tunisia and Egypt know that they have planted a whirlwind for violent change.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND NFF: It is time for the budget defence in the National Assembly. I hope the law makers won’t make the errors of appropriating funds from the tax payers’ commonwealth for the NFF? If they do, it will amount to aiding and abetting the pilferage of our monies.

Did the NFF say that the Nigerian government and her agencies cannot try her or even audit her except using FIFA laws. Let them hence go to FIFA for all their expenditures. How can our monies be allocated to the NFA and an unknown body to the Nigerian law, the NFF, be the one spending same? Is this not economic crime? More court cases may be on the way. At least, FIFA won’t ask us not to go to the court on this matter.