*THE* " *UNHOLY* *ALLIANCE* " *BETWEEN* *SPORTS* *MINISTERS* *AND* *NFF* *BOARDS*

*SLIDING* *TACKLES*

" *A* " *WEAPON* *OF* *MASS* *DESTRUCTION* " *FOR* *NIGERIA* *FOOTBALL* "!

What does Anyone expect from a situation where a Security Guard detailed to monitor a Person given the Public Money of a Community to keep and use for the Programmes of the said Community and Ensure that the Person uses the Community Money for the Best Projects beneficial to the Community? But the Security Guard instead of  doing the Assignment of Monitoring how the Person is using the Community Money; goes around eating and partying with the Person who he is supposed to Monitor? Or what is expected from a Supervisor of an Agency who leaves his Supervisory Duty on another Agency and is busy jollificating with the Agency, the Supervisor is detailed to Monitor; and keeps Approving Wasteful Jamboree Projects for the Agency, leaving more important Projects unaddressed? The Only Result from such highly unethical and unprofessional shady Relationship is that the Supervisor will be seriously hamstring and hampered and unable to perform his Supervisory Oversight Functions on the Supervised Agency.

This is exactly what is happening between the Sports Ministers and the non Contributing State FA Chairmen NFF Board ever since the Corruption Allegations ladened Amaju Pinnick State FA Chairmen NFF Board came into Office in 2014. Before the coming of the Amaju Pinnick led non Contributing State FA Chairmen NFF Board ascended the throne of our Football Administration; the relationship between the Sports Ministers and the NFF Boards, were Strictly Official and Professional as expected from the Code of such a Relationship. The Relationship of the pre-Amaju Pinnick NFF Boards with the Sports Ministry was devoid of any suspicious "Cosy Alliance" that clearly distracted and immobilized the Sports Ministry from Performing it's Oversight Functions given to the Sports Ministry under the Constitution of the Nation.

Yes! lt was the Strict Professional and Ethical Relationship between the Sports Ministry and the Past NFA/NFF Boards (that were devoid of any "Unholy Alliance); that made the then Sports Ministry headed by the then Sports Ministers that empowered the Sports Ministries to do their Supervisory Oversight Duties for the Nation creditably. And our Football was the Better for it as the then Sports Ministers Approved and Released Funds to the Supervised NFF Boards after proper Monitoring leading the situation where the Best Beneficial Football Programmes were touched. During this Beloved Era of the Official Relationship between the Sports Ministries and I NFF Boards; our Football lndustry progressed and Football Funds were judiciously utilised for the Benefit of the Football lndustry.

Under the then Dr. Patrick Ekeji led Sports Ministry and both the Sani Lulu NFF Board and Aminu Maigari NFF Board, we never witnessed the ugly situation where the Sports Ministry Released Funds to the NFF Board for the specific Purpose of taking a National Football Team prepared under 2 or 3 Weeks to an important Qualification Tournament such as we saw in the cases of Coach Ladan Bosso led Flying Eagles Jamboree to All African Games and Coach Garba Manu guided Golden Eaglets Exploration to WAFU B U17 Tournament which happened under the tenure of the present Sports Minister, Sen. John Enoch. Under the Professional Relationship between the Sports Ministries and the NFF Boards (before the "Unholy Alliance"); Nigeria did not witness All these Frugal Spending and Frivolous Waste of Funds we are seeing today under the "Unholy Alliance" Dispensation of the Sports Ministers and the NFF Boards which went Full-blown under the Tenure of Sports Minister Sunday Dare/Anaju Pinnick NFF.

But since the Entrance of the "Unholy Alliance" which has no justifiable reasons to be there because the Nation knew what it wanted to protect by Constitutionally Empowering the Sports Ministry/Minister to Monitor and Supervise the Operations of the NFF Boards, Financial Accountability inclusive? The Supervisory Oversight Functions of the Sports Ministers, has become glaring ineffective and inefficient and it's looking more like a Criminal connivance by both Agencies to continue to Fleece the Nation of it's Scarce Football Funds meant for the Development of our Football lndustry especially in the Grassroots and Leagues Sectors. Yes! Because the Scandals pewing from the rather curious unwarranted Cosy Relationship between the Sports Ministers and the NFF Boards since 2014 under Amaju Pinnick, is too close for comfort and unjustifiable.

 For instance, look at how Sports Minister Sunday Dare who was supposed and expected as the Supervisor of the NFF Board under Pinnick; to Monitor Strictly that the Process leading to the Appointment of Coach Jose Peseiro as the Super Eagles Coach was transparent and fair? But rather than Perform his Official Monitoring Duties, Minister Dare was instead being Fingered in the Foreign Coaches "Salary Kickback Racquet" Scandal which was openly Exposed by both the Chairman of the NFF Technical Committee, Rabiu lnuwa and Top Football Agent who brought Coach Peseiro into the Country, Jolly Ogu. Then, look at how Billions of Scarce Football Funds are constantly siphoned through highly Criminal "Round-tripping of Matches of our National Teams" where the Sports Ministers Release Funds to the NFF, knowing Fully Well that some Patriotic State Governments and Corporate Organisations; have already bankrolled the Full Cost of the National Team International Matches; as persistently alleged by Football Rights Activists, Harry Jalla and Chief (Barr) Rumson Baribote! 

Then, also think about how the present Sports Minister, John Enoch Approved and Released, Millions of Tax payers Money which was duly Appropriated for the Development of our Football lndustry by the National Assembly; for the Frivolous Spendthrift Purpose of taking a Flying Eagles Team (prepared under 2 Weeks) to the All African Games; and for the Participation of the Golden Eaglets (prepared in under 3 Weeks) in the WAFU B U17 Tournament? Also, justify the nonchalant Dispositions of the Sports Ministers since the Amaju Pinnick NFF Board, to the Several Petitions from Football Stakeholders alleging Massive Looting and Diversion of Football Funds worth Trillions; by the Amaju Pinnick led NFF Board which is an Extension of the Present lbrahim Gusau led NFF Board? So, what do any reasonable person think is happening under this ugly situation where instead of lnvestigating the myraid of Corruption Petitions against the NFF Boards; and Ensuring that the sorely needed Stolen Funds of Nigeria Football, are Returned? Our Sports Ministers are openly buffetting with the Accused NFF Boards; and using the Opportunity of a hapless inconsequential Super Eagles AFCON Silver Performance to misadvice Mr. President to Allocate National Honours to an NFF Board who the Sports Ministers are supposed to be calling the serious Attention of the EFCC to come and Apprehend.

An English Saying has it that - "Show Me Your Friends, And l Will Know Who You Are". Another Agelong Saying says that - "Birds Of The Same Feathers, Flock Together". Nobody is saying here that the Sports Ministers who are the Supervisors of the NFF Boards, should not relate with Each Other for the Benefit and Growth of our Football lndustry! No! What *SLIDING* *TACKLES* and Other concerned Football Patriots are saying clearly is that the Relationship must not Only be Official and Professional; but Must Be Seen To Be So. Because, if the Sports Ministers are Openly frolicking with the Accused Stained NFF Boards and behaving as if it (Sports Ministers) are not aware of what Majority of Nigerians know; then there's Definitely an "Unholy Alliance" going on that can Only be Destructive to Nigerian Football. 

Because, from the Several Actions and lnactions of the Sports Ministers on serious Football Matters involving the NFF Boards which the Sports Ministers supervise like; how the Sports Ministers instead of chastising and discouraging the NFF Boards from the unreasonable Expensive Hiring of Foreign Coaches and Wholesale lnvitation of Foreign based Players to our National Teams when we have Capable far Cheaper Local Substitutes? One can clearly see that there's a serious ugly "Unholy Alliance", going on. Because, if the Sports Ministers are not hampered from Performing their Right Oversight Functions by the Unpatriotic "Unholy Collaboration" with the NFF Boards who they are supposed to be Supervising; the Sports Ministers cannot Approve such Wasteful Expenditures especially when they know the Stinking Poverty situation of both the Begging NFF Boards and Nigerian Football.

So, the current cosy Relationship between the Sports Ministers and the NFF Boards show that both Agencies instead of being the Constitutional Supervisor and Supervised; have left that Relationship and have now transcended the Relationship to that of Friends and Partners. So, as the Saying intends, the Sports Ministers who are Friends of the NFF Boards especially rampantly Accused of Corruption and Thieving of Football Funds are "Birds Of The Same Feathers"; and therefore just the Accused NFF Boards; the Sports Ministers are also Guilty of the Accusations levelled against their NFF "Friends". Yes! The Only sane and sensible justification for the cosy needless Collaboration between the Sports Ministers and the NFF Boards; is connected to the Sharing of the Nigerian Football Funds under the Custody of the NFF Boards but under the Supervision and Release of the Sports Ministers. Because the 2 Parties need to Partner for the Nation's Football Funds to be Dismembered without any Problems.

Finally, this "Unholy Alliance" between the Sports Ministers who are supposed to Monitor the Spending of the NFF Boards and the NFF Boards which are the Supervised Agency; is quite unhealthy and Destructive for our Football lndustry. Because, with the "Unholy Alliance", our Football Funds and how they are Utilised, are no longer being Monitored and Supervised by the Supervisory Sports Ministers who are now Collaborating with the NFF Boards instead of Supervising them. *SLIDING* *TACKLES* is Shouting that this "Unholy Alliance" Must Stop for the Good Of Our Football lndustry; and without Further Delay as the Funds being Frivolously Wasted on Selfish Football Projects by the NFF Boards are seriously needed Funds for the Development of our Nigeria Football. *SLIDING* *TACKLES* hereby proudly joins Other genuine and Patriotic Football Stakeholders and Nigerians to say that - "Enough Is Enough" of this "Unholy Alliance" between the Sports Ministers and the randomly Corruption Accused non Contributing State FA Chairmen NFF Board which is nothing but........

" *A* " *WEAPON* *OF* *MASS* *DESTRUCTION* " *FOR* *NIGERIA* *FOOTBALL* "!

 *Barrister* lyke *lgbokwe* ( *Torchlight* *Of* *Nigeria* *Football* )

 *WhatsApp* : *09136715922*