NFF: Odegbami Should Face Up To Reality

The Nigeria Football Federation has chastised former Nigerian international player Olusegun Odegbami to stop his campaign of calumny against the NFF and prominent Nigerian football figures and face up to the reality that he undid him own campaign for a slot at the FIFA Presidency.

Former Green Eagles’ captain Odegbami failed to secure the statutory five nominations needed to put him on the ballot for next year’s FIFA Presidential election, and has been relentless in throwing salvos against the NFF and prominent figures like Dr. Amos Adamu and Chief Orji Uzor Kalu.

“We are thoroughly disappointed at the conduct of Chief Odegbami since his failed bid,” Hon. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande, Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, stated. “He was his own big problem, with the letter he wrote castigating the leadership of FIFA and CAF, which he brazenly copied to these eminent figures.

“We consider Chief Odegbami an elder statesman in Nigeria football, but he has been throwing a lot of tantrums lately. He has been accusing very prominent and illustrious persons of so many things, and imagining himself to be a saint.”

Yahaya-Kwande, also a ranking member of the House of Representatives, said the onus was on Odegbami to secure his five nominations outside NFF’s endorsement.

“The NFF is aware that Odegbami reached out to the Football Associations of Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic and Zambia. How is his failure the fault of the NFF? They told him to his face that they were opposed to him because of his statements against the President of CAF, who is now Acting FIFA President.

“He said the NFF wasted time in endorsing him. As far back as September 8, we set out conditions for himself and Chief Orji Kalu to meet before we could endorse either of them. We always emphasized extensive consultations by the aspirants. It is outrightly mischievous for him to give the impression that the NFF was his problem. The NFF President was in Cairo, Egypt to campaign for him for the five nominations, but where was Odegbami himself on the day that mattered?

“Let it be said that Nigeria was the only country where more than one person showed interest in the race. Odegbami was a great football player and brought honour to Nigeria, but Chief Kalu also brought honour to Nigeria through extensive support for Enyimba to win top laurels. It is also true that Kalu indicated his interest before Odegbami did. Yet, we eventually endorsed Odegbami.”

Yahaya-Kwande emphasized that none of the candidates who eventually got on the ballot relied solely on their National Association to get the five nominations for them.

“Odegbami has this strange idea that everyone else is tainted and he is not! He worked against himself. It is not NFF’s problem; it is his problem, entirely.”

NFF: We Have Solid Confidence In Pinnick

The Executive Committee of Nigeria Football Federation on Thursday explained why the members always cast their vote of confidence in the leadership of its President, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick.

Speaking in Abuja, Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, Hon. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande, stressed that the Executive Committee is enamoured at the quality of ideas, energy and drive of the former Chairman of Delta State Football Association.

“If you patiently take stock of the list of achievements of the NFF in the past one year that Mr. Pinnick has been President, you would give him immense credit. The beauty of it all is that he carries all the members along in everything he is doing, and invariably listens to superior argument.

“Personally, I enjoy the meetings and I always make sure to be present, because the President makes everyone feel a part of it, he brings up excellent ideas and allows these to be debated. Everyone contributes.”

Yahaya-Kwande, who is a ranking Member of the House of Representatives, explained that the camaraderie within the Executive Committee has not been witnessed in any NFF Board for a long time now.

“Steadily, we are unveiling the various programs that we have for Nigeria football and we believe that our people will be delighted. Next week, there will be a major pronouncement on our youth development program. But I don’t want to reveal this now.

“What we want is the support of everyone. In the last one year, there has been capacity –building programs that have impacted positively on the League and attracted greater recognition from FIFA and CAF for our referees; FIFA elite courses for referees and CAF courses for coaches; prioritization of Coaches and Players’ welfare; robust support for the LMC to continue to improve the NPFL brand; the signing of a kit sponsorship deal with a global brand; intensive drive by the President to sell Nigeria football globally and; aggressive marketing drive to attract private sector support.”

NFF President, Amaju Melvin Pinnick.

At its inception, the Amaju Pinnick administration outlined its vision thus: “To build a sustainable football culture for the country, satisfying the yearnings of scores of millions of our people through ensuring football activities all –year round, and also focusing on genuine developmental programs while availing the various National Teams adequate support to fly the nation’s flag high at all international competitions.”

Yahaya-Kwande stated that the Board is united in fulfilling this vision: “We are solidly behind our leader, Mr. Amaju Pinnick. He is working very hard and carrying the Board along in everything he is doing. We are also giving support in every way we can. There is no schism in the NFF Executive Committee.”