The decision came against the backdrop of the Super Eagles’ poor performance at the ongoing FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The Eagles finished at the bottom of Group B with one point after three matches.
Presidential spokesman, Ima Niboro who broke the news to journalists in Abuja said the move by the government was to enable the country put its house in order:
“The most important thing is that the President has directed that Nigeria withdraws from all international competitions for the next two years. This will enable us put our house in order and enable us work out a more meaningful way to engage the global stage in terms of football so that this kind of rather embarrassing outcome we had in South Africa will not repeat itself,” he said.
The president’s directive did not just stop at the moratorium on Nigeria’s participation in international football events. He also ordered that NFF offices be sealed and employees of the body be sent home. At the time of filing this report, this directive had been fully complied with and armed policemen were seen barricading the entrance to the NFF building. Mr Niboro said President Goodluck had also directed that:
“Audit be undertaken of the finances of the World Cup project; that any perceived misapplication of fund should be investigated and relevant agencies of government involved in tracking down whoever has done wrong and bringing whoever found culpable to book.” He added:
“The President also approved that the FCT Minister should find a suitable piece of land for the building of the Nigeria Football House. This will also serve as Secretariat to the Nigeria Football Association. These are the Presidential directives that came out of the meeting this afternoon,” Mr Niboro said.
Task force report
Before the decision to move against the football federation was taken, Mr Jonathan was briefed by members of the President Task Force (PTF) set up by late President Umar Yar’Adua to ensure Nigeria’s qualification for and credible performance at the World Cup, on the Eagles outing in South Africa. Rotimi Amaechi, Chairman of the committee and Governor of Rivers State, who also spoke to journalists after the government’s decision said president Goodluck acted largely on the recommendation of the task force. He said:
“Our recommendations were based on what we saw and what we met on ground. You will observe that the history of our qualification was not as smooth as it used to be before. We struggled to qualify. We got to the World Cup, we got a new coach; PTF was paying the Coach.
We agreed to pay the Coach $1.3 million which we paid. We got to the World Cup and we had all sort of mal-administration; we also had all sorts of problems and we find out that the problem of Nigeria Football now is structural and there is the need for us to look inward, sit back and re-organise the structure to ensure that we don’t continue to have what we currently have now.” He continued:
“We recommended to Mr. President, which he has approved that we formally write FIFA to say that Nigeria will not engage in any international competition for the next two years so that when we re-organise Nigeria Football and train higher coaches and all that and come out to any competition it will be to the delight of the Nation.
“The Nation has been punished enough, people have had heart attack because of Nigerian football. We want to reorganise and get it back to what it used to be when it was the pride of the Nation and we are glad that Mr. President has approved all our recommendations and given directive to that effect.
To stave off a possible backlash from world football governing body, FIFA, which frowns at interference by government in the administration of football, a letter explaining Nigeria’s decision to reorganise its football for the next two years has already being sent via email to the football body. An aide of the sports minister, Ibrahim Bio, who wants to remain anonymous, said the decision to inform FIFA did not arise from fear of any possible sanction but was done as a matter of courtesy.
“We are a sovereign nation and have a right to run our affairs without anyone outsider dictating to us,” he said.
Attempts to get FIFA to respond to the new developments were unsuccessful at the time of filing in this report.
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