PROJECT 2022: Move Out Of Your Comfort Zone And Take Over Nigeria Football
One of the hallmarks of great men is that they are willing and eager to set new records and raise standards.
Today, I challenge my colleagues in the Footballers Bloc with this piece.
The beautiful game that made you a global brand, that you committed the best part of your life in building is being basterdised.
Those in charge of football administration in Nigeria today led by Amaju Pinnick are only interested in promoting themselves and looting our common patrimony.
They have nothing to offer.
Minnows in African Football like Central African Republic, Cape Verde, Liberia, Madagascar etc are now a serious threat to the Almighty Super Eagles even right here on our home soil.
The domestic leagues are dead particularly the NPFL under Shehu Dikko’s League Management Company (LMC) and that’s despite several millions of US Dollars from former broadcast rights sponsor Supersport TV.
Dikko has plunged the NPFL into debts of over a billion Naira as we speak today.
Amaju Pinnick cannot account for FIFA World Cup grants of 2014 and 2018 including several FIFA development grants running into over $30 million and several Billions of Naira in sponsorship monies.
And they commit all these atrocities with so much impunity using the police and DSS as their tools to harass and intimidate any stakeholder who dares to hold them accountable.
The solution is already here Pinnick and his gang would be leaving office in nine months from now the structure that produced and bred Football administrators of the likes of Pinnick is not feasible in the 2022 NFF election.
In a bid to give fit and proper persons within the Footballers Bloc a chance to take control and command of football administration in Nigeria in 2022 key stakeholders have instituted suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1376/21 in the Federal High Court Abuja to challenge the skewed NFF Statutes and the dominance of the State Football Association chairmen in the composition of the Congress and executive Committee of the NFF.
The State FA chairmen majority of who have no business with football administration have 37 votes in a general assembly of 44 members and 11 members of 15 NFF Board members.
This has been the bane of football development in Nigeria and there would be a radical departure from the current structure before the 2022 NFF election can hold.
Those who think they can distract me with intimidation, illegal arrest and malicious prosecution are wasting their time.
Liberation of Nigeria Football is a mission I already laid down my life to achieve even though I will seek redress for illegal arrest, detention and malicious prosecution at the appropriate time.
My focus for now is a structural change in Nigeria Football.
Let’s put ourselves together for the task ahead to salvage Nigeria Football. We are the real owners of the beautiful game, let’s not allow intruders, interlopers and influence peddlers to kill the only joy we have.
HARRISON JALLA, Chairman PFAN Task Force/Facilitator Project 2022
