Baribote Blasts NFF Over Academy Affiliation With State FAs

Baribote Blasts NFF Over Academy Affiliation With State FAs

......Says There is No Law That An Academy Must Affiliate With State FA Before Its Player Can Be Invited To The National Teams

By Niyi Busari

Former second vice president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Victor Baribote has said that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Amaju Pinnick is misleading Nigerians by saying that football academies must affiliate with their state FAs before their players can be invited to the national team.

Reacting to a statement credited to the Vice Chairman Technical Committee of the NFF, Chidi Ofor, where he stated that Amaju Pinnick was misquoted adding that the football federation boss said; all academies must affiliate with their state Football Associations before any of their player/s can be invited to the age-grade national teams."

Baribote then, argued that the Nigeria constitution which supersede any authority in the country is very clear, citing Section 1 sub-section 3 of the constitution which states that 'any company, organisation or body has been registered under Part A, B, and C of Company and Allied Matter Act (CAMA) regulated by Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) such body, organisation or company is free to operate with what it registered for.'

"The Nigeria constitution supersede any other authority in as much as a company, organisation or body is incorporated with CAC then it is free to operate the business it has been registered for." Baribote told BSNSports.com.ng

The Nembe City Football Club boss argued further that such rule that is not backed up by the NFF statute will create more crisis for the federation.

"It is wrong and misleading to say that all football academies must register or affiliate with their respective FAs before their player/s can be invited to the age grade national teams. This will bring up another crisis because they cant say an academy that registers and operates under the confine of football laws must affiliate with the FA before a player who is good enough to represent the country under the academy can be invited to the national teams. That's depriving Nigerians their constitutional of rights representing their country. Are they saying that if a good player is discovered on the street such player must affiliate with the state FA before playing for national teams?

"This may lead to denying the best legs their constitutional rights to represent their fatherland which is capable of creating more crisis fir the federation.

He challenged the NFF to come out with a law or statute that give them the power to take such step..

"There is no law anywhere that state that a player's academy must affiliate with the state FA before he or she can be invited to the national teams. Every good players has the right to represent his fatherland.

He stated further that the NFF should be concerned with the quality of players invited to the national teams rather than bordering themselves with the academies or agents that owned the players.

"The federation should not be concerned with where a player is coming from. If they don't have interest in making money off a player, their focus should be how good a player is and whether he is good enough to represent Nigeria. Are they inviting a good player to the national team or the academy? He asked.

He clarified the situation where an academy must be compelled to register with the State Football Association.

"If the State FA organise a competition for academies then the FA can insist that they must register or affiliate with it before they can participate in such competition.

Last week in Lagos, the Nigeria Football Federation president, Amaju Pinnick was quoted to have said that the under age national team players' economic right will be owned by the federation but the Vice Chairman Technical Committee of the NFF, Chidi Ofo claimed he was misquoted.