Brekete, NFF’s Glass House of fraud and Sunday Dare’s show of shame, By Bernard Balogun
Posted by News Express | 22 December 2019 | 2,385 times
•Bernard Balogun (BenPino)
This is certainly not
the best of time at the Glass House (NFF House in Wuse Zone 7). The ongoing revelation
is mind-boggling, quite a devastating revelation happening in the studios of “Brekete
programme” anchored by Dr Ahmed Isah, a multi-talented, multi-linguistic and
lively radio personality, who is also the Chief Media Strategist/CEO of Human
Rights Radio/Television.
In the last four weeks
or so residence of Abuja, including global audience of this station have been
treated to an alleged humongous financial impropriety that has rocked the
Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) for some number of years now.
The alleged fraud has
impeded grassroots sports development in Nigeria. Nigerians owe the trio that
had brought this monumental fraud to the media space and gratitude, not
condemnation, must go to the Brekete programme for availing their platform for
this patriotic duty, even at great threat to their lives. Ex-international
player Emmanuel Babayero, Chief Coach James Peters, a man who had coached all the
national teams and performed exceedingly well at international outings,
including female national team and a man named Mr Tunde Aderibigbe, an ex-staff
of NFF.
We had thought with
the revelation so far, we would soon get to the bottom of the eleventh envelope
and matter close. By the way, there are envelopes marked one to eleven, each
envelope contained alleged fraudulent practice at glass house. Each envelope
contained misappropriation of funds emanating from the FG, CAF or FIFA and in
fact some state governments as well, each alleged fraud is supported with an
incontrovertible document. (In fact, it was at Brekete programme that
listeners, and indeed global audience, got to know that FIFA is an NGO, not
affiliated to the United Nations as originally thought). So far, only two and
half envelopes (so to speak) had been opened, out of eleven envelopes that
contained misappropriation of funds in naira and dollar components running into
several billions. That is a serious matter that should, ordinarily interest the
supervisory Ministry.
Ab nitio, all those
alleged to have participated in these fraudulent acts were openly invited to
come over to the studio to defend themselves. Mr Sani Lulu one time President
of NFF came to the studio and gave his own version.
At the end of a
two-day session, he walked out of the studio with his head high. In any case,
the interrogation sessions, (please note my word – interrogation and not
investigation) were progressing between Dr Ahmed Isah, the anchor person, and
the trio of Emman, Coach Peters and Tunde, when Mallam Ahmed Shuaibu Gara
Gombe, one time Gombe FA Chairman, appeared in the studio to further
collaborate the alleged monumental fraud in the football house.
In fact, Mallam Gara
Gombe should conversant with these alleged fraudulent practices at the Glass
House because he was a top-notch of the NFF. He was one of those who revealed
that NFF is an illegal body unknown to Nigerian laws. For him and others, NFA
remains an authentic body. However, Sani Lulu debunked this assertion because
the metamorphosis happened during his presidency at the Glass House.
However the above
narrative is just a prologue to the story and what has actually prompted this
article. There are many compelling factors but two stand out so much so that it
ridicules the office of the Minister and of course, the ethnic youths who had
come to play politics with an issue as sensitive as this, that has provoked
global interest. And it is a very sad commentary. First is the non-committal
disposition of the Minister of Sports, Mr. Sunday Akin Dare, a young man l
proudly refer to as an aburo. Dare was a fine newspaper person. He wrote
brilliantly and created a niche for himself.
Though it was progress
in his life, l was particularly unhappy when he moved to assumed duties as
Executive Commissioner at NCC. We lost a fine writer to the executives at NCC.
That was my pain. At the NCC, Akin sustained that brilliant performance. I am a
distant admirer of him. Therefore, when he appeared before the Ministerial
screening at the Senate, Akin again demonstrated that he is a young man loaded “upstairs”.
I had thought Mr President would send him to either Communications or
Information Ministry, rather he was sent to Sports. For me that was a
fundamental error. That is the decision of Mr President and nobody queries such
a presidential decision. The first ever public decision, that l know, taken
since assumption of office as Minister was to write an unpopular letter to the
anchor person of the radio programme, interrogating these trio who had brought
alleged cases of monumental fraud against one of the parastatals under his
Ministry.
I had thought,
naturally this ongoing interrogation to unearth and bring to light this
allegation would provoke, not just the Minister as a person but also the entire
Ministry and consequently give support to the private radio station to get to
the bottom of the stinking discovery, in the end help navigate how to retrieve
the misappropriated funds, with the support of EFCC & ICPC.
But for the Minister
to have written to the radio station in a manner that suggest that it had taken
side with those alleged to have penetrated this fraudulent acts makes it very
disappointing and utterly ridiculous. On the contrary, one would have expected
the Minister to mandate them to go to the radio station to explain themselves to
the global audience. That is not too much of a thing to do. The Vice President
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria had visited the studio to answer nagging
national issues and he sat, so relaxed with the down-trodden people for over
two hours. He thoroughly enjoyed himself on that occasion.
Call it humility
extra-ordinary, you are right. Capt Idris Wada, former Kogi State Governor also
visited the studio to clear himself of the general notion that he was the
architect of "non-payment of salaries in the State. In a relaxed mood, he
debunked every allegation made against him. He left the studio with his respect
further enhanced.
The current Minister
of Education, Alhaji Adamu Adamu, had come to the studio to clear the air on
the allegation of cultist activity in a particular Federal government School
somewhere in Kwali area of Abuja. In fact, your predecessor in office, Dalung, had
been in that studio to dispel rumour about certain activity. None of them were
rubbished rather they left attracting a reservoir of respect for themselves and
the Institution they head. You see where my disappointment stems from? In any
case, l do not believe these officers at the Glass house are superior to these
senior government functionaries who have come to the studio. With due to
respect to the Minister, aburo mi sir, you erred in “every material particular”.
That is not Sunday Akin Dare l used to know and hold in such a high esteem.
Please go, not only
before the Nigerian but indeed the global audience to explain the position of
the Ministry you head. And that will clear a lot of misgivings that really your
Ministry shares same vision on this vexed issue of corruption with Mr
President. That is the minimum expectation Nigerians from you sir.
The second leg of my
disenchantment: During the week, some group of people appeared in the Brekete
studio with the aim, essentially, to cause a distraction and encourage Dr Ahmed
Isah, the anchor-person, to drop the “ongoing interrogation”, so that they
could handle the rest of the interrogation. They have not shown sufficient
commitment to handle this kind of sensitive matter, since they have interacted
more with the perpetrators of the alleged fraud and from every point of view
their recourse is largely politically motivated. Majority of the listeners
suspect their motive. They cannot be trusted. Whether they are youth group or
ethnic association, they are not disqualified.
•Bernard Balogun (BenPino) writes from Wuse
District. He can be reached via 0818 181 2456
Source: News Express
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