Danagogo Assures On Stability In Nigerian Football…

The Minister of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, has assured Nigerians that the difficulties and conflicts in the affairs of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, will soon be brought to an end to ensure the stability and smooth running of football in Nigeria.

Danagogo gave the assurance at the Corporate Dinner hosted by the Amaju Pinnick executives of the NFF for the corporate business community during the weekend in Lagos.

Describing the controversies that have trailed the elections of the NFF as a function of an attempt to effect change in the corporate philosophy and management principles of the NFF, he noted that the squabbles were expected but that through negotiations and insistence on best practices, the issues will definitely be resolved in the best interest of the game and the nation.

“When I came in as minister, I took time to assess the sports environment and saw that we needed change in our sports governance and management culture. I knew where I was standing and where I want to take our sports industry to. I knew that we needed fresh ideas, fresh vision and fresh dynamism to transform not just our football but our entire sports industry. Pinnick (Amaju) and his new board is a product of that attempt to effect change and the government will do everything legitimate and lawful to support the new board because they are demonstrating that they understand and are well equipped to pursue the vision of government for the development of our sports.”

Excited by the concerted mobilisation of the corporate community to support the new board, the minister described the occasion as a watershed in our football history, a departure from the past and an assurance of a great future.

“Following the resolutions at Presidential retreat on sports in 2012, one of our cardinal objectives is to attract corporate buy in on our sports assets and programnes. This event relates succinctly to that objective. Not only are they mobilising, they are opening the space and taking every measure to ensure standard practices to create investors’ confidence through accountability, transparency and probity. They have engaged a reputable auditing firm to handle their accounts to ensure probity and they have committed to making the accounts available to both the government, the public and investors. They have developed multi competence support structure with the engagement of a financial consultancy firm (Financial Derivatives) and a management consultant (Bains and Co). This shows that they want to take the game to new high levels and there is every reason for corporate Nigeria to get involved.

“The involvement of corporate Nigeria will sure create more value. There will be greater funding for activities and programmes of the federation but the value does not end at just money. It is not only money that transforms sports. Transformation requires commitment, passion and people participation, and the corporate community will put money and also put ideas to make the collective vision work while the government can now stand to principally perform the function of regulation. Indeed, this is a welcome development and a new dawn.”

Danagogo was not alone in his assessment of the new NFF regime as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Adamu Gumba also joined to drum support for the Pinnick led board.

According to him, he had thought that the Pinnick team may have come with a blank sheet and without clear vision but they have pleasantly proven that they know what to do and how to do it.”

“As our committee performs oversight function on sports, we take keen interest in what is happening and I can tell you that the trouble in our football is subsiding. I am very happy and encouraged by the Pinnick vision, approach and plan of action. I thought he was coming with a blank sheet to just get there and be guessing but we can see that they mean business. The National Assembly will continue to support Amaju (Pinnick) and his team. We are committed to transformation in all sports.The Glasgow Commonwealth Games shows that Nigeria is also improving in all sports and with initiatives like the new NFF board, we can achieve greater heights” Gumba said.

Danagogo, Gumba, Corporate Nigeria Thumbs Up Nff…As Pinnick Espouses Vision At Grand Ball

Sports Minister, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, First Lady of Delta State, Mrs Roli Uduaghan and the Chairman of Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Adamu Gumba were among the nation’s leading personalities who graced the grand ball organized by the Nigeria Football Federation for Corporate Nigeria in Lagos on Friday.

The colourful event at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island was an experiential session by the new NFF Executive Committee, led by Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, to bond with NFF’s partners and prospective sponsors.

In the presence of top government functionaries, corporate titans and political heavyweights, Pinnick espoused his vision with ease, academic and articulate, and it was applause all the way for the young and energetic new supremo of Nigeria football as he enraptured all who were there.

Put together by NFF’s proposed financial consultants, Financial Derivatives, the event afforded participants and media chiefs an inkling into the new direction for Nigeria football, as Pinnick, 1st Vice President, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi and Chairman of the Marketing, Sponsorship and Television Advisory Committee, High Chief Emeka Inyama harped on useful partnership, mutual respect, accountability, probity and transparency.

Sports Minister, Dr Danagogo praised the idea behind the event and the vision of the NFF, saying he was bowled over by the ingenuity of it all and pledged Government’s full backing for the Federation.

Senator Gumba said he was hugely impressed by the plan for going forward and would get the National Assembly to give total support.

Bain & Co, who will be NFF’s management consultants, talked on NFF Strategy & Restructuring, while the Managing Director of Financial Derivatives, Mr. Bismark Rewane captivated the auditorium with Repositioning of Nigeria Football for Global Competitiveness.

NFF President, Amaju Pinnick

Messrs Jibril Aku, Peter Amangbo and Ladi Balogun, Managing Directors of ECOBANK, Zenith Bank and FCMB respectively, President of Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers and Group Managing Director of BGL PLC, Mr. Albert Okumagba, Mr. Dere Otubu of Staco Insurance, Idaere Gogu Ogan of United Securities, Mr. Aniri Ojuya of Senforce Insurance, representatives of the Dangote Group and NFF’s partners Emzor were in attendance.

Mr Olufemi Adefope of HRG, Dr. John Agawu, Chairman of Sureline Liftboat and the first graduate to play for the Nigeria National Team and Mrs Nimi Akinkungbe of Nigeria Monopoly also graced the occasion, while Mansard Insurance was represented.

Pinnick promised that a similar event will take place in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja at the beginning of next year.

Elegbeleye, Gumba Commiserate With NFF Over fire Incident, Maigari: Our Programmes Will Not Be Affected

NFF-Office-complex-abuja

Director –General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye and the Chairman of Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Adamu Gumba were among the first prominent Nigerians to commiserate with the Nigeria Football Federation over a fire outbreak in the Glass House on Wednesday morning.

Both leading figures spoke when a team led by NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari called at their offices to inform them of the fire disaster. The NFF team also included Members of the Executive Committee, High Chief Emeka Inyama, Hon. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande, Alhaji Yusuf Ahmed Fresh and Mr. Ayodeji Tinubu, and the General Secretary, Barr. Musa Amadu.

Elegbeleye thanked God that no life was lost in the morning incident, which started with smoke spiraling out of one of the offices on the second floor before it became uncontrollable.

“We commiserate with you over this disaster but we are grateful to God that no life was lost. Our hope and prayer is that this should not have any serious effect on the programmes of the NFF,” Elegbeleye said.

Senator Gumba spoke in similar vein, even as he congratulated Maigari and his team for overcoming the recent crisis that threatened to tear Nigeria football apart.

Responding, Maigari assured that he had personally assessed the impact of the fire outbreak and that the programmes of the NFF and Nigeria football will not be affected.

“It is sad but we still have to be grateful to Almighty Allah. For one, no life was lost, and also, the impact is such that though a few offices including the General Secretary’s office were affected, this is not enough to affect any of our programmes.

“All that we need to get the Falconets going in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and to prepare the Super Eagles for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, and the U-17 boys for their African U-17 Championship qualifiers are intact.”

NFF Glass house on fire

Amadu: We remain steadfast, focused

General Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation, Barrister Musa Amadu has corroborated the assertion of the NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, that Wednesday morning’s fire outbreak will not in any way affect the programmes of the Federation.

“This incident is unfortunate, but we remain steadfast and focused on our programmes. As the NFF President stated earlier, our National Teams’ programmes will not suffer in anyway as a result of this fire incident.

“We suspect no foul play, and I can tell you that the Accounts department was not affected at all. All our financial documents are intact, and the trophies that we have won are also intact.”

Amadu thanked the Federal Fire Service, Julius Berger Construction Company, National Emergency Management Agency (whose Director General personally visited), officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps, State Security Service, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other security agencies for their quick response.

“We are quite appreciative of all these persons and other Nigerians who came around and expressed their sadness. We want to assure everyone that this will not affect any of our programmes or our work.

“The fire has been put out and we are now getting a cleaning outfit to clean up the whole place and make it habitable as early as possible. Our work must not suffer.”

NFF spokesman, Ademola Olajire disclosed that the incident started with an electrical fault in one of the offices on the second floor.

“Some of us just arrived and were still outside the building when smoke started coming out of one of the offices on the second floor. The maintenance officers did their best to put it out but could not. We then started calling the Fire Service department and they came in good time.

“But then, the fire had broken out and affected some offices on the left wing, including the General Secretary’s office and the IT unit. However, the Accounts department, which is on the right wing, as well as the President’s office, were not affected in any way.”