FG Unwillingness To Prosecute NFF Officials Drives Away Sponsors, Good Results - Dalung

  Federal Government Unwillingness To Prosecute NFF Officials Drives Away Sponsors, Good Results - Dalung By Niyi Busari Immediate past Minister of Sports, Barr. Solomon Dalung, has attributed the continuous poor results of national teams and lack of sponsors to the silence on the side of the media and Government unwillingness to prosecute the indicted officials of the Nigeria Football Federation. He said Nigeria football will return smiles to the faces of Nigerians when Federal Government is ready to prosecute the 'indicted' Nigeria Football Federation officials and the media are ready to put the administrators on their toes. "Since I left office in 2019, we have had the worst period in Nigeria football. To me, to get it right, football needs surgical operation. The Federal Government must be willing to prosecute those who are found wanting, mismanaging money meant for development of the game,  leading to what we are all witnessing now. The days of using FIFA to threaten Nigeria to continue to run Nigeria football with impunity should be put to rest. NFF election has been monetised and people who don't have the interest of the game at heart find their ways to run football with impunity. Football in Nigeria will continue to go down unless something is done until government stop covering up corrupt administrators. The media needs to set agenda and not remain silent. The media were not silent when I was in office and I am surprised to see them silent when our football is dying. He frowned at how the NFF officials were discharged after overwhelming evidences against them in court. He also accused the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami of playing a role in their release after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has indicted the federation's chieftains referring to a letter former EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari where the NFF couldn't account for how N9 billion were spent. In the letter, Magu indicted the officials and were charged to court. He said he was surprised to see that the indicted official were named as witnesses while accountants, clerks were arraigned in the same case. "I wrote to the EFCC about the mismanagement of funds in the NFF. The EFCC on their part, after investigations indicted the federation's bigwigs after discovering that the NFF top officials could not account for about N9 billion. But, in court, the accountant and cashier at the accounting department of the NFF were arraigned leaving out the main culprits. To me, this will encourage them to continue syphoning funds meant for the development of football into private pockets. And that's why we are witnessing all these. Who will invest his money where it will be not judiciously used? That shows why sponsors are not coming to identify with the NFF." "Also, Malami was fingered in how the NFF officials were set free. When government is ready, we will get it right. Take a look at the ICPC too, for over one year, they sealed up the properties of the NFF top officials. I want to believe that the ICPC must have had evidences against them before taking such step. Till now, they have not charged them to court." The NFF has argued that toxic environment is responsible for driving away the sponsors. Since return of football in October 2020, Nigeria has played ten international matches, winning just one, lost four and drew five games. Nigeria could not qualify for the CHAN, Olympics (Men and Women), U20 African Cup of Nations. The Super Eagles played four matches; lost one and drew three, Flying Eagles drew one and lost one game while the Golden Eaglets won one, lost two and drew one.