Maigari: Mistakes were made, some of them horrific, but we are determined to remedy the ills of the past

Alhaji Aminu Maigari, NFF President

Fellow Nigerians, I present updates of our massive failure and reflections that underline our road towards a different NFA. The 120 million opinion leaders from around the nation will witness our determination to remedy the ills of the past and how we intend to improve the way we do business. Clearly, the nation's football governing body, while continuing to take its mandate more seriously than ever - to administer, and successfully administer the game's development - has had a rough time of late: 30 law suits, invading media houses and arresting journalists, dragging the NPL crisis etc.
It would be disingenuous of me not to acknowledge reality and the fact that we have been fighting an uphill struggle to calm nerves, initiate urgently needed reforms and at the same time adhere to a sense of reason during the stormiest of times especially with Harrison Jalla and the Tenebe group. The last 1,000 days were among the most difficult in our football history since 1945.
While we acknowledge that, as well as the need for change and the urgent need for sweeping reforms, we must not jump from one (wrong) conclusion to the next, but review, recognise and reform with care and in depth.
I am quite aware of the ongoing criticism voiced by many, a criticism that occasionally degenerates into personal and below the belt attacks. This led to the Dominic Oneya committee which submitted its report last week.
So be it. I guess we have to live with bad style just like we have to live with our own reality, namely the fact that mistakes were made, some of them horrific. It takes time to shake the tree until all bad apples have fallen to the ground. Even if some of them refuse to fall at first.
What I want to make quite clear, is that, we shall present further facts, this time with names attached, on how we want to tackle the necessary changes in the governance of Nigerian football. We shall seek to remedy past ills lastingly and offer solutions that bite and important improvements that take effect without further ado.
I firmly believe the team members we have selected to help accomplish the job at hand, are not only solid and dedicated but also exceptionally professional people. And I also want you to know that today, we scrutinise everything, no matter where the chips may fall.
The demands of fans, players, clubs, leagues, the NSC, the national assembly and the NFA alike are important to us; they must and will be considered. We owe the public the type of transparency that we have not practiced in all areas in the past. That was wrong.
Within weeks, I shall be presenting factual and practical change that will increase and help remedy NFA's credibility and become a guarantor for better corporate governance, solid compliance and lasting structural improvement.
Having said that, we must recognise that we cannot dictate certain important improvements: NFA's parliament, the Congress, must approve some of the sweeping changes we propose.
NFA must not be reduced to the smallest common denominator: it's President.
Above all, NFA is ultimately nothing but the expression of the will of its members around the 774 LGAs, 36 states and FCT, referees, players, fans, the media etc.
The admittedly urgent changes that must be approved by the NFA congress include a new procedure to elect members to our board, the executive committee, as well as a new procedure to determine a future NFA. Creating sustainable training programmes to develop our boys and girls from Birnin Kebbi to the creeks of Yenagoa, the forest of Idanre etc
Other measures, such as the very substantial organisation of an independent Ethics Committee and the creation of a committee for corporate governance and oversight, can be prepared by the new NFA management to be put in place in days.
And we are in the final stages of doing just that: in a few weeks from now, before the Xmas celebrations this December meeting of the Executive Committee, I shall offer names and new structures to the public, as promised.
In brief: I have initiated relevant and powerful change without "ifs" and "whens".
NFA remains committed to walking the walk and won't get stuck in solely talking the talk. By January 2012, this will become clear for all to see. Until then, I invite everybody to bear with us so that we can clean the house and come back to the public with facts that allow NFA to enter a new era of doing business. And never again revert to doing "business as usual".

Being speech delivered by Aminu Maigari after the U-23 crashed from Morocco. As soon as he finished reading the speech, the crowd were applauding him then, I woke up from my bed. So, it was a dream.