Lagos — A former Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) has thrown his weight behind the now truncated contract the Glass House had attempted to enter into with MTN.

Speaking at a three-day retreat for Executive Committee members and management staff of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), which ended on Saturday in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Gen. Dominic Oneya (rtd) said he did not see anything wrong with the contract.

The FA had agreed to a four-year N3 billion deal with the telecom's giant only for the National Sports Commission (NSC) to torpedo the pact late last week on the grounds that it infringed upon an existing contract with Globacom.

However, Oneya, who is also a member of the CAF Organising Committee on the African Nations Cup, speaking on 'The Way Forward for Nigeria Football', in which he asserted that the NFA is the body in charge of administering the game in the land, and so recognised by FIFA and CAF.

"I am happy that the bickering between NFA and NFL has come to an end, but the truth is there should never have been any conflict."

He also contended that there is nothing wrong with the proposed MTN sponsorship deal, even though there are clauses in the Globacom contract. Oneya said he believes in the present NFA team to take Nigeria football to a glorious height, but that the leadership should give attention to development alongside promotion.

Also present at the retreat, sponsored by Oceanic Bank and with the theme 'Revitalizing and Repositioning the NFA for more Effective Service Delivery', were some other heavyweights in football administration in the country, past and present, to the Gateway Hotel in the ancient city.

Group Captain John Obakpolor (rtd), another ex-chairman, who is equally an aviation expert, declared that the problem of the NFA is as old as the body itself, saying the real issue is the Nigerian character that does not want to understand and is always in a hurry, and not with those who run the institution.

Colonel Abdulmumini Aminu (rtd), who steered the ship of football between September 1996 and September 1999, insisted that the NFA should be run as a business outfit, and that both NFA and NFL should be transparent in their dealings for sponsors to be willing to come aboard.

Former Secretary General, Momodu Kadiri, said there is need for adherence to structure and discipline in the system.

Barrister Abdulhakeem Mustapha, who hailed the retreat, saying "it is the first time since the establishment of NFA in 1945 that it is organising a retreat", gave an overview of the 2004 NFA Statutes, in which he made it clear that the NFA is in charge of the administration of football in Nigeria, with the NFL a subordinate body that owes its life to the NFA.

"The truth must be said at all times, and I have never shied away from telling the truth. The NFA gave birth to the NFL, so how can the baby be bigger than the parent? All over the world, the FA is supreme, because it is the establishment recognised by FIFA.

"However, there is need for co-operation, collaboration and constant engagement at the highest levels of leadership of both bodies."

On Saturday, the Association came up with a working document for the future, insisting that there must be code of conduct for not only members of staff, but the Executive Committee as well.

Meanwhile, the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Association on Saturday suspended indefinitely one of its members, Dr Peter Singabele, from all its activities.

This followed the recommendation of a three-man set up by the committee at its last meeting in Abuja, to look into possible breaches of the resolutions of a peace meeting brokered by NSC Director-General, Dr Amos Adamu in June.

"The Executive Committee has decided to accept the recommendation of the three-man panel to suspend indefinitely Dr Peter Singabele for obvious breaches of the resolutions of the peace meeting," NFA boss Sani Lulu Abdullahi said in Ijebu-Ode, where the association was having a retreat. a) That we seriously considered the resolutions of the peace meeting with the Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Dr Amos Adamu and found that Dr Peter F. Singabele has contravened part of the resolutions with his repeated and unbecoming attacks in the media on the person of the Chairman, Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi, and the body of the Executive Committee as a whole.

b) That Dr Peter F. Singabele, having failed to appear before this committee on two occasions he was invited, and despite being notified in good time, has lost the opportunity to defend himself against the observed breaches of the resolutions of the peace meeting.

c) That by this reason, Dr Peter F. Singabele should be suspended indefinitely from the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Association, pending ratification at the next Annual General Meeting of the Association".

Other members of the committee are Alhaji Aminu Maigari and Mr Taiwo Odebunmi.