Richard Animam
12 July 2008
Barrister Richard Obienu needs no introduction in Nigerian football circle. His is former Nigeria Football Association (NFA) Vice Chairman, ex-Enyimba FC board member, one-time Rangers FC of Enugu board member, just to mention a few.
Obienu's views on football in Nigeria have always been firm. He says it the way it is without fear or favour. And he was in is usual self when he spoke on the issue of corruption that has plagued Nigerian football.
Unlike many sports administrators who have expressed worry over what would be the fate of the report to be submitted by the Brigadier-General Dominic Oneya (rtd)-led panel that is probing corruption in the league, Obienu believes that unlike other reports that ended up in the dustbins, the Oneya report would be implemented by the Sports Minister, Barrister Abdulrahman Gimba who obviously is tired of the way football is run by those in the NFA.
"Unlike in the past, I strongly believe things would be different this time around. I believe that Oneya's report would be implemented to the letter because people are tired of what is happening in our football. I have read in the media where Amanze Ucheagbulam castigated the Sports Minister for probing football, accusing him of interfering in football matters but I found it laughable that he is saying that because it is also through interference that he (Amanze) came into the NFA.
"Despite what people are saying, it is very important that we get to the root of this matter. When issues of corruption come into the system, the Sports Ministry can take up the probe, just as it has decided to do now. The case of corruption is centred round the NFA, so it is not possible for the NFA to probe itself. They can not be judge in their own case. It is not done anywhere in the world and that is why I am happy that the minister is taking the bull by the horn.
" I am also happy that General Oneya, former NFA chairman is the head of the committee probing corruption in the system, he knows the problems with football in Nigeria and I am confident that his reports will not be treated with levity. On the NFA, let me ask one question. Why is it that we started to hear of corruption in our football only when NFA began to appoint and place referees for Premier League matches? We did not hear of this when NFL was placing referees. In fact, it was then that we saw teams winning matches on away ground but all that changed as soon as NFA took over the job of placing referees.
"The truth is that there is a new cartel in the NFA. NFA chairman Sani Lulu appointed his brother Sunday Okhai as secretary of the committee responsible for appointment and placement of referees and that was when the whole corruption thing began to manifest. Lulu and Amanze should not be in the NFA.
I remember what Amanze did in 1993. They came out saying that teams that finished at the lower ranks of the league at the end of the season will be relegated but at the AGM we saw a different thing entirely. We saw a situation where teams that were to go on relegation were told to remain in the Premier League after money had changed hands. The same person is now castigating the minister for probing corruption in our football," Obienu said.
The Enugu-based lawyer appealed to the Oneya committee to come out with solutions that would take football out of the doldrums that it has found itself owing to the handiwork of certain people.
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