Football Fans Oppose 5th Term For Sanusi, NFF General Secretary

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Football fans across Nigeria have raised objections to moves to renew or extend the contract of Mohammed Sanusi, the long-term General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) against federation statutes.
The fans expressed this position over the weekend through the Movement for the Advancement of Nigerian Football (MANF), a coalition of soccer-loving Nigerians.
In a statement, MANF’s National Convener, Olayiwola Akande, stated, “We are raising this alarm to save Nigerian football from its current downward slide. Sanusi, as NFF General Secretary for 11 years, has been part of this decline and will continue to be if his tenure is extended illegally by a cabal within the NFF”.
Akande added: “Unfortunately, the sports ministry has proved to be a complete failure. The toothless leadership has failed to bring the required reforms and fresh changes expected”.

Consequently, MANF urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and safeguard the future of Nigerian football.
Akande pointed out that Sanusi has been a contract staff member of the NFF since 2007, despite the availability of more competent civil servants for the position and has had his contract renewed four times, contrary to Federal Government Establishment Regulations.
MANF also advised that the search for a new General Secretary should begin in earnest; saying: “The NFF and Nigerian football need fresh blood and new, progressive ideas to overcome years of poor administration and performance.
“The process must be transparent and in compliance with Nigerian Constitution’s principle of federal character as the current NFF president is from Zamfara State in the North West. MANF insists that the NFF Congress as a geopolitical body has no legal or moral right to interfere in the selection of a professional General Secretary. The NFF Statute mandates that the General Secretary should have at least a professional background in Physical and Health Education or Sports Management.
“Today, Nigeria for the first time failed to qualify for major football tournaments like the Olympics and World Cup under the current secretary general. All our age grade teams are also failing due to incompetence and corruption. Unless this is urgently addressed, Nigerian football will never be able to recover its position in the league of footballing nations.”
“We thank the NFF secretary general for his services but it is time for him to go and allow fresh faces to take over”. Akande concluded.


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