WOE BETIDE AND BESTRIDES PEACE IN NIGERIAN FOOTBALL

Armaments for war secured for 2013 in Nigerian football

If methodical non violence has been used in the logical fight against the goons who have stolen the mantle of Nigerian football is being consistently revisited with violent mis-application of what the Nigerian police stands for, like our referees are being killed with senseless abandon, very soon, very soon I presage that some day someone will just realize a mad version of this campaign for things to be done right will emerge with guns, pestles, mortar and deadlier instruments to protest matters of football administration in Nigeria.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are up in arms again. Recently, I reported how they took the men of the Nigeria Police to practically abduct Harrison Jalla. They forced him to leave his two telephone lines in his work place where he was arrested.

Before they would get to the Police station, a staff of the NFF secretariat got in touch with the Policemen. The next thing they gave their errand girl (a former staff of the NPL) who is writing for an online medium concocted write-up.

In an unjournalistic manner, she wrote the version of lies of the NFF that Jalla duped a player for which he was arrested. Same was posted on twitter and facebook. He was arrested on a Friday. Their plan was to keep him till Monday.

At the Police station, the matter was not officially indented. Jalla went on to sue the Police and Ademola Olajire. The matter is still ongoing. The judge ruled that he must not be arrested, detained or invited for chat over the issue by the Police

In the latest developments, Jalla opted to go to court to contest some other issues in the management of the game. He has believed fervently in the Nigerian court system. Remember he was the plaintiff before Justice Abang of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Yesterday, he was in the Federal High Court Abuja. The NFF, as usual, fixed the Police to arrest him. The attention of the judge was called to the matter. He gave a clear order do not arrest, question or detain him over this matter. He was arrested, detained and kept incommunicado since then.

Is the NFF legal?: One salient issue here is this, two courts of the land ruled in uncontested judgements that the NFF is illegal. One ruled, don’t parade yourself. The other ruled, you are non juristic and should be wound up by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). They wished the two judgements away in private settlements without vacating the orders. Now, the judgements have become a part of the laws of the land because they are time-barred.

Is this anybody’s cake? If the judiciary is such an institution whose orders remain to be made for the ledges, why should people go to courts again? Very soon, a new version of this struggle will no see reasons to go to court but will resort to extreme self-help violence to settle matters.

Can somebody pray we do not degenerate to such levels before commonsense will prevail.

However, it is sad that the Nigerian Police will remain always an instrument of injustice every time oppression needs to be delivered to another citizen, ironically, the one who seems to be on the side of the law.

Closing gambit: With these latest development, I can predict, with emphatic insistence, WOE BETIDE AND BESTRIDES PEACE IN NIGERIAN FOOTBALL. Sleep has been murdered, let us see who will hence sleep again. It is like the battle line has been redrawn.

He who has just a son should call, keep and run. He who has no one to bugle him should take the paths to the stream and run. He who has relations who will ask questions should go by the path of the women and leave.

Like the Yoruba war General will sound the knell, alo ti ya onibode apomu. 

Was the President not overurled here? The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, wrote the Inspector General of Police to enforce the order of a valid court on the NFF. The NSC begged for an in-house settlement. The NFF members went to court in their private capacities. Can they tell Nigerians what is the outcome of that venture? 
Bourbons of France: Its like the NFF people are like the Bourbons of France who learnt nothing from history and forgot nothing to history. Ahead of the World Cup 2010, it was South Africa. Ahead of 2013 Nations Cup it is South Africa. A link? Return of 2010 led to a prosecution for financial improprieties. Return from 2013 will surely be the same result with a wider spectrum of participants, insha allahu!

Did the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) not wrote on the 2^nd June 2011 that on no account should Appropriated funds be given to the NFF for its is not known to Nigerian laws?

They applied through the NSC for $9m to prosecute the Nations Cup. Let’s wait and see how the NSC shall overrule the AGF, give the NFF same and we shall not have a repeat on our hands for financials. More court issues will arise surely.

Welcome to the roforofo unlimited of 2013!

The Police will have many more arrests, suits and damages to contend with certainly.