Member technical committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, (NFF) Barr. Austel Elumelu, has revealed that the idea to reform football administration in Nigeria is good even though he has his reservations about the committee set up by the new minister of sports, Yusuf Suleiman to look into Nigeria’s football crisis. New minister of sports, Yusuf Suleiman brokered a peace deal last week between the Nigerian Football Federation led by Aminu Maigari and the Harrison Jalla led Nigeria Football Association.
At the end, both warring parties agreed on a committee with a representation each from all the groups. Elumelu said the committee may end up being a necessary tool to mediate the crisis and bring peace and sanity to the federation. “If the people involved subscribe to it, no problem. It is for the interest of the game. I appreciate the interest and efforts of the new sports minister in trying to start on a clean slate and bring together the two warring parties. If the NFF board subscribes to it, who am I to complain? As an individual, I have my reservations though.”
Commenting on the legitimacy of the committee, Elumelu said: “As far as I know, the Football Federation is a subsidiary of the National Sports Commission. I do not see any reason why the commission should not mediate in the crisis, as long as their intention is genuine. The federal government takes the responsibility of security, when it comes to hosting international sporting events, government places personal guarantee for tournaments, so you cannot ask the NSC not to mediate in the crisis.”
He added that: “I think reform has already started within the Aminu Maigari board. First of all, by employing ex- internationals as coaches and constituting a technical committee that includes ex-internationals, football administrators and technocrats.”
Elumelu, however, stated his concern: “the gray area would be the issue of the terms of reference given to the committee. I begin to wonder where the committee will derive its authority from, will the committee churn out policies for football development? Will they be implementing policies? What will be the terms of reference of the committee?” he asked.
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