Emeka Enechi
7 January 2002
Super Eagles World cup compaign may be heading for the rocks if threats by a Japanese Company Suissen Nippon SL and General Company LTD to scuttle whatever arrangement they may have for the football fiesta holding in Korea/ Japan next Summer is anything to go by.
The company represented in Nigeria by Tunji Braithwaite & Co has threatened to drag the Soccer House to court for a breach of contract it entered into with the Japanese company. In a petition the Notary Public organisation sent to the Honourable Minister of Sports Ishaya Mark Aku, and made available to THISDAYSports during the week, Braithwaite complained that the FA after agreeing on terms of contract for the National team's camping venue for the World Cup, reneged on the arrangement soon after the draw for the competition which held in Busan Korea December 4. Subsequently, the FA signed and sealed another contract with another company chosing Fujiyoshida as new camping venue.
Braithwaite explained that his organisation soon contacted the interim Secretary General Patrick Okpomo whom he claimed attended a meeting with Braithwaite & Co in Lagos on December 16 after learning of the new contract where Okpomo was said to have expressed shock over the development. He was said to have promised to resolve the issue but that has not seen the light of day.
Invariably, the organisation concluded to embarrass the nation before the commencement of the competition should the FA fail to honour the contract.
The petition stated inter alia "We want this illegality and wrong to be redressed. Failure to do so immediately will not only cause great embarrassment to our beloved country Nigeria , but more significantly it will cause untold hardship towards our preparations in Japan"
" We are calling on the good office of the Honourable Minister to demand that you intervene in this very serious matter which if not redressed will have wide ranging international consequences for our beloved Nigeria," the company demanded.
The firm also want the FA to cancel whatever agreement it recently entered into in Japan Fujiyoshida.
However, THISDAYSports made several fruitless efforts to reach top officials of the FA. The four telephone numbers in the Glass House were dead.
Among other incentives which awaited Eagles as contained in the protracted contract include cost of the team's stay in Japan including hotel accommodation and feeding for up to sixty persons. However, the organisation stated that it would not take care of some persons whose bills would it claimed would be paid by FIFA. Furthermore, the organisation was to arrange and cordinate Public Relations, Correspodence and Translations for the team. Essentially, the organisation was to arrange for teams that would engage Eagles in tune up matches before the kick off of the competition.
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