Senate holds public hearing on NFF bill

A public hearing on a bill for an Act to repeal the Nigerian Football Association Act Cap N110 law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and enact the Nigerian Football Federation Act to provide for the administration of the game of football in Nigeria and for related matters (SB.138), was held on Thursday at the Senate Conference Room of the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
Football stakeholders, including the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari; his deputy, Mike Umeh; the General Secretary of the NFF, Musa Amadu; and the Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, led a strong National Sports Commission to the hearing.
Notable sports and football stakeholders that presented papers on the issue included former Sports Minister, Abdulrahman Hassan Gimba; former NFA boss, Group Captain John Obakpolo (rtd); and the Nigeria Law Reform
Commission.
The Nigeria Law Reform Commission, led by Barrister Kefas, made useful corrections and deliberations to the drafted Bill.
The knotty issue as expected is the issue of autonomy for the Nigeria Football Federation, which the Sports Minister argued would be very difficult for the Federal Government, which provides funds in billions for the NFF through the National Sports Commission not to be interested in the control of certain areas of the day-to-day activities of the football house.
Obakpolo also buttressed Abdullahi’s submissions when he said: “I laugh any time I hear these words of NFA autonomy because it is a common knowledge that he who pays the piper dictates its tune.”
The Sports Minister, however, argued that despite the fact that he enjoys great relationship with the present leadership of the NFF, it also important to know and note that government would always be interested in the activities of the football house since the Federal Government puts in money to run the Federation.
The Senate Committee on Sports, under the leadership of Senator Adamu Ibrahim Gumba, promised to read through all the papers delivered and submitted to them and deliberate carefully on the issues raised and later come out with a good NFF Bill that would lift the game of football high in the world.
Gumba said his Committee’s vision for Nigerian football is to rank among the best 10 in the world.