Stakeholders Blast Pinnick After ‘I Will Take Away My Sponsors’ Gimmick
Amaju Pinnick’s petty threat that he will leave office with the sponsors he claimed he brought to the NFF has caused a serious backlash from major Stakeholders.
Pinnick’s tenure as NFF President will come to an end on September 30.
He has said in one turn he will not seek a third term in office, but in another turn he has attempted to stay put even after eight years of disastrous handling of the affairs of Nigeria Football.
However, Stakeholders have come out firing from the hips at Pinnick and how much he has personalized Nigeria Football.
Former NFF General Secretary Fanny Amun said: “When the narrative changes, sponsors deal with brands, not an individual.
“The corporate value is the name Nigeria Football, Government corporate value and political will.
“Amaju and his likes are never relevant to sponsors please.”
“When we take our football back from captivity we will flood it with credible sponsors in a more transparent manner,” said former NFF Marketing Director, Idris Adama
“This will be with deliverables that are capable of adding value to sponsors products and services. Not this Nollywood kind of sponsorship of the more you look the less you see.”
A former NFF Director alleged that the football federation have not benefitted from many of these so-called sponsors under Pinnick.
“Please let him go with those sponsors,” he challenged.
“After all he connived with one of them to supply sub-standard kits, which the NFF had to pay for at ridiculous amounts.”
“So Amaju is the owner of sponsors?” queried ex-international and Players’ Union chieftain Edema Fuludu.
“Before him there was sponsorship and after him there will be sponsors.
“What has his sponsorship done for Nigeria football development?
“Private pocket sponsorship that is used for cosmetic surgery and showglass abracadabra on our football. Let him carry his rotten tomatoes and go!”
“Nigeria Football Federation is bigger than Amaju Pinnick and any individual,” said journalist and activist Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello.
“Sponsors have the right to align with the football brand and not him.
“The moment your tenure expires, sponsors will abandon you sharpish, sharpish and scuttle to align with the next NFF President. Know this and know peace, dear Amaju.
“Football business is big deal. It sells itself without much effort.”
She added: “Despite your frequent visits to ICPC, and EFCC, you managed to get sponsors whose money did not reflect in our football, the money can only be seen on social media with the display of splendor and wealth by your family members – something they did not have before your emergence as NFF President.
“Once this tenure expires, more sponsors will come running to the NFF because I’m aware a lot held back because of your corrupt ways.”
“Let him go with his sponsors. Our football has not felt the sponsors’ impact since he took charge,” lampooned Richard Jideaka, an Abuja-based sports journalist.
“The sponsors came in because of the national team and not because of him,” further argued television journalist, Ralph Chidozie-George.
“Many sponsors are even running away from Nigeria Football because of him.”
“Others will bring better sponsors. Yeyenatu!”, dismissed Olajide Adebola
