The umbrella body for Sports Editors in Nigeria, the Guild Of Sports Editors, met in Lagos on Wednesday to review recent happenings in Nigerian football and resolved that there was the need for government at the highest level to take action on the “shameful happenings” in football management in the country.
The meeting, which was chaired by the newly-elected President of the body, Tony Ubani of the Vanguard newspapers, had in attendance such eminent personalities as Jide Alabi of the Silverbird Group, Ade Ojeikere of the Nation, Ben Alaiya of SportsDay, Kunle Salami of New Telegraph, Duro Ikhazuagbe of ThisDay, Ben Alozie of The Union, Ben Memuletiwon of National Mirror, Dare Esan of Complete Sports, Emeka Ezeugwu of the Newswatch Group, Femi Olusetire of SportsDay, Peter Edema of Daily Independent, Desmond Ekwueme of National Weekender and John Joshua Akanji of the Sun newspapers group.
The meeting was superintended by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the group and Weekend Editor of the Vanguard newspapers, Onochie Anibeze.
The group said it viewed with serious concern the way and manner Nigerian football has been riddled with crisis of recent, which has put the country in international odium.
The Editors said: “We view this issues as very unfortunate and want to ask those concerned to put an immediate stop to it, especially as we hear that these issues are being orchestrated by some high powers in the Sports sector.
“Having taken a serious look at the issues we have no option but to call on President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, to use his good offices to call all his sports officers to order in the larger interest of the Nigerian people. Because his government has been an achieving government in the area of sports and we cannot allow unbridled personal interest and ambition to ruin his achievement in sports.”
The statement, jointly signed by Ubani and the body’s Secretary General, Dare Esan, said Nigeria has received enough insult from the international community and the idea of causing crisis after every World Cup year in Nigeria must stop forthwith.
It added: “We want to advise that the purported election of some officials recently cannot hold water because the congress held elsewhere and we cannot continue to use the apparatus of government to intimidate the very persons it is meant to protect. We therefore call on President Goodluck Jonathan to throw the field open for all eligible candidates to contest the forthcoming elections as that is the standard international practice. Anything short will be unacceptable to the generality of Nigerians.”
The statement further added that while it was not siding with any of the parties, it seeks for justice and peace and thinks that only President Goodluck Jonathan can act quickly to stop the detour to anarchy in Nigerian football, nay sports.
The statement added: “It’s not time for the blame game but we must insist on due international process and the need to give all qualified candidates free opportunity to contest the coming NFF polls. Enough is enough of this charade because of pecuniary benefits to some desperadoes.”
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