Group demonstrates against NFF, wants entire board sacked

By Ifeanyi  Eduzor

A group  made up of ex and current footballers under the auspices of vision 2022 task force, Thursday staged a peaceful demonstration in Lagos against the Amaju Pinnick led NIGERIA Football Federation calling on the entire board to vacate office to enable the country’s football move forward.

The  group wearing  T- shirts  and carrying banners with the inscription, Nigeria Football is dead boldly  written on it and  led by its chairman, Harrison Jalla took off from Shitah round about, Surulere, Lagos  and ended the demonstration at the National Stadium.

Speaking to journalists after the match, Jalla who is the former President of  National Association of Nigerian Footballers ( NANF)  explained that they’ve  to take the step because Nigerian football  is dead and need men with honour and  fresh ideas  to bring it back to life insisting that Pinnick’s recent announcement that he is not going for third term  is not enough but the entire board who have mismanaged the game should give way for sanity to be restored in the round leather game.

“ When you take a closer look at our football, you will discover that the game is dying. Under this present leadership of the NFF, we failed to qualify for two Nations Cup back- to back and even when we qualified for Cameroon 2022 AFCON finals, it was a disaster and to worsen the situation, the country failed to qualify for this year’s Qatar 2022  World Cup.

“ Ordinarily if it where to be in other climes, the NFF by now should have given way but all that we heard was that Pinnick will not be seeking a third term which is only scratching the surface.

“ What we’re saying is that the same people who have been mismanaging our football without anything to show for it should give way and stop recycling themselves because they’re no longer relevant and if they continue to hang on, this demonstration will be taken to all the major cities in the country.

He was also of the opinion that Piniick should have taken the part of honour and quit  now without waiting till September when  the tenure of the present board will expire. Even as he threatened that his body will not allow any election to be held by the football house as it is presently constituted.

“ It’s quite unfortunate that Pinnick is still handing on as NFF President when he should have resigned honorably after the World Cup slop and not wait until his tenure expires in September. And I want to inform them that we’ll not allow them organize any election because we’re already in Court in Abuja and Balyesa State ‘, he stressed.

Supporting him, Secretary of the group, Austin Popo said that the NFF has failed the nation and there is need for football stakeholders to take their destiny in their hand  and ensure that the right things are done.

“ I have been a member of NFF congress for many years and it’s unfortunate that I will  come  to the congress and raise my hand to talk on the issue of players welfare and I will be shouted down because  I’m in minority. We are now saying that all the members should give way  and in the next election there must be equal distribution of membership among all the interest groups  so that no group will feel cheated and that’s how football administration is organized in other countries,” he concluded.