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Tijani Yusuf: There has always been corruption in Nigerian football

A former Secretary General of the then Nigeria Football Association, NFA, Dr. Tijani Yusuf has said corruption is not new in Nigerian football, but is…

A former Secretary General of the then Nigeria Football Association, NFA, Dr. Tijani Yusuf has said corruption is not new in Nigerian football, but is says it’s shocking how deep corruption has eaten in the system.

In this interview with Trust Sports, the academic and sport administrator spoke on the mistakes of the present leadership of the NFF and the need for inclusiveness in Nigerian football administration.

Plans are on to reopen Nigerian football amid COVID-19 concerns. Are we ready?

Well, the Nigeria Football Federation has said that they have gotten permission and they intend to re-start the Nigeria Professional Football League in November. I think that is what they have said. But the question is, have we put in place all the necessary conditions given by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19? As much as the coronavirus is more rampant in Europe, they have the facilities to handle COVID-19 cases. Look at our dilapidated health facilities. We don’t even have enough personnel. Obviously, we lack capacity to manage the crisis. Are we sure we can handle any upsurge in COVID-19, If football is reopened?.

So in essence, the resumption of football and other contact sports shouldn’t be rushed?

I don’t know what they have put in place. I am sure the PTF must have given conditions that they must ensure are in place before the resumption of football activities. If all that is in place, then football should resume. If not, they should not risk the lives of innocent people. It may be argued that COVID-19 here is not as severe as is in Europe, however, the question remains, have we done enough testing? How many people have been tested? I am not sure a million out of 200 million people have been tested.

Most people cited recent social gatherings like elections and burials as reason for their calls on the government to reopen contact sports, especially football…

You see the confidence should be there, but as I said earlier, not many people have been tested and there are asymptomatic cases. They carry it, but it doesn’t show on them. However, they can infect others. It is the level of testing that bothers me. If we had tested so many and the results were negative, then it would have been a different case. Well, if the conditions given by PTF are met, they can go ahead reopen.

You once presided over the secretariat of the then NFA. What did you do during your time to avoid the controversies that now characterise the leadership of the NFF?

May Allah alone be praised. Our administration was very inclusive. It was not about one or two persons running the show. It was for this reason that we were able to achieve results. Everyone was considered important. If you remember, we didn’t have the kind of money they have now. My heart skips when I hear about billions in Nigerian football now. We never had billions during my time. There was never anything close to one billion naira but we were prudent in managing our resources.

In view of what you have just said, what is your advice to the current leaders in charge of Nigerian football?

They should as much as possible be transparent and embrace inclusiveness. They should carry the relevant stakeholders along. There is so much deceit now. Not everyone is a true stakeholder. Some only claim to be football stakeholders but are after personal gains. Once things are done transparently, there will be minimal corruption and controversies. Even during our time, there were cases of corruption, but they were minimal. There is no corrupt free society. It is not possible. However, corruption should be minimal so that you can work and not be distracted. Once there are petitions here and there, there will be no progress. It will be motion without movement. I think they have done their best but it is not enough. Like I said earlier, every relevant stakeholder should be taken along.

Is it the ‘one man show’ in NFF that has made people like you and Alhaji Ahmed Sani Toro to remain quiet despite problems in Nigerian football?

Well, people like Alhaji Sani Toro and Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi have contributed immensely to Nigerian football. They have decided to take the back seat because nobody is ready to consult them. Some of these people don’t seek attention. If we are invited, of course, we would oblige them with our services. We are patriotic Nigerians. Nigeria is our country and we do not have another country. But we are not ready to be ‘busy-bodies’. We don’t need to blow our trumpet. Our records are there for all to see. You don’t buy experience from the market. Even if you go to the market with a bag filled to the brim with pounds and dollars, you can’t buy it there. There was a time the Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, recalled all its old staff for the new ones to learn from them. Sadly, in Nigerian football, it is now a game of exclusiveness. You will agree with me that even President Muhammadu Buhari is tapping into former President Goodluck Jonathan’s experience to solve problems. Look at what they did in Mali. If you consult the right people and succeed, all the praises will still be yours.

What do you make of the appointment of former international, Austin Eguaveon as NFF Technical Director?

It is good that he is appointed. He was a player and a former coach of the Super Eagles. He is the right person to be there, but he should be given the right environment to operate. It is one thing to be appointed and another to be given the enabling environment to succeed. They should be ready to meet with his demands. I remember when Chief Adegboye Onigbinde was the national coach. He complained that he requested for 100 balls, they gave him only 20. It does not work that way.

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