Meet 7 gods that need to be appeased if Nigeria football must rise again. Sports Journalist Adewale Ajayi chatted with Obaland Magazine Chidinma Tijani recently about those men who will make the game tastier again.
There is no gainsaying that Nigeria football needs God’s intervention to rise again. The last few years have seen Nigeria football walk through a difficult road full of thorns and stones. The Super Eagles, Flying Eagles, and Golden Eaglets of Nigeria used to be the shining light of Africa in continental and world football but all that has changed suddenly as our national teams have continued to falter at the biggest stage.
Many have tried to suggest reasons as to why the supposed giant of Africa has suddenly been reduced to dwarfs. In the last six years, it seems to be going from bad to worse with every passing day.
In his desperate search for the truth, this reporter went into a trance and came up with what he thinks, is the way out of Nigeria football calamities. He said the present NFF board have offended too many people in the corridors of football and the earlier
they humble themselves and ask for forgiveness, the better it will be for Nigeria football.
THE gods ARE ANGRY
1. Alhaji Aminu Maigari
This former Bauchi state football Association chairman who later rose to become president of the Nigeria football federation was stabbed right on his back by a man he trusted so much. Aminu betrayed his kinsmen and handed over the mantle of leadership to a
Southerner due to pressure from above. Today, he is seriously regretting as all promises made have not been met. In fact, he was so pained at the rot in Nigeria football and had to stage a comeback in 2018 only to lose on his second missionary journey in Katsina
to the incumbent.
Today, in his hideout somewhere in Bauchi, he regrets every transaction he ever had with this board.
2. Musa Amadu
Former NFF general secretary, Musa Amadu remains the best and finest general secretary Nigeria football has ever known. Intelligent, focused, and always on point, Musa was at the forefront of the battle to reclaim Nigeria football from intruders. He stood firm
in the face of oppression and risked his life at the battlefront just so that the right thing should be done. At one point, he had to run to Niger republic when it became obvious he was the target man. A few months later, he was retained as NFF general secretary
only to be sacked for insisting that the Post 2014 FIFA world cup largesse must be used for the reasons why it was given.
Today he is back home in Kaduna, cursing all those behind his fall.
3. Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah
As a senator of the federal republic, senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah has little or no regrets. He is waxing stronger every passing day, as he sets his sights on becoming the next governor of Anambra state. However, he still takes time to reminiscence on his
many adventures with the leadership of Nigerian football.
A man who single-handedly paid the salaries of Super Eagles chief coach Gernot Rohr for 5months, a man who bankrolled NFF (Nigeria’s) support for Ahmad Ahmad’s CAF presidential campaign, and a man who offered his private jet to the NFF leadership for free for
international engagements were ridiculed by his old friends who have now pitched tents with governor Willie Obiano, the executive governor of Anambra state in their desperate bid to stop his governorship ambition.
They annulled the state FA election he won clearly and did so much to install a puppet just to ridicule him. Today the gods are fighting for senator Ubah.
4. Hon Godfrey Ali Gaiya.
At the heat of the NFF crisis in 2014 and 2015, when Ambassador Chris Giwa took custody of the glasshouse, they needed someone to stand up and speak and Honourable Godfrey Ali Gaiya, who was the then chairman House committee on sports rose up to challenge the
Chris Giwa led the board and stood his grounds that the election held in Chida on August 26, was a charade and cannot stand. He was also in the hurriedly packaged presidential team that went to Warri to install Amaju as president of the NFF in 2014.
Today, he reflects back on all he did with regrets especially with the twist and turns in Nigeria football. He is pained because at some point he has to take over one million nairas of his personal money to sponsor a bill in the National assembly in favor of
Nigeria football.
5. Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye
This former DG of the national sports commission is the worst hit. Hw championed the Amaju for president campaign and was in Warri on orders from above to instal Amaju as president of the NFF. Since that day to date, he regrets his role in that unholy act.
He lives in his palatial home in Abuja grinning his teeth daily with lots of regrets and anger. He says it to all who cares to listen that he was used because there was never a presidential order, it was just some Warri mafias at work.
6. Edema Fuludu
Former Nigerian international Edema Fuludu was at the forefront of Amaju’s emergence as NFF president. He was seen running from pillar to post in Warri just to make sure all went well.
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