Nigeria: NPL/NFF Crisis - Adamu's True Confession
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Vanguard (Lagos)
6 September 2008
Posted to the web 6 September 2008
Patrick Omorodion
The Nigeria Football League re-christened Nigerian Premier League (NPL) organised its 2nd Globacom Premier League International Seminar last week in Abuja to usher in the 2008/2009 Premier League season scheduled to kick off next weekend.
Many papers were presented on how to make the league better. Among the speakers was Dr. Amos Adamu, the Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC). He was to speak on Policy Formulation for the league body.
When he mounted the dais, Dr. Adamu, known for trivialising serious issues did not disappoint those who know him as he went down memory lane to tell those at the crowded seminar that he deliberately caused the league body and the Sani Lulu-led NFF to 'fight' each other.
He quickly added that it was done to make both bodies sit up and face the business of running football and the league with all seriousness, stressing that there will no longer be any conflict as both bodies have buried the hatchet.
While some people were not amused by his confession, knowing he was the cause in the first place, others who did not know clapped for him. At this stage, octogenarian former NFF Board member, John Ojidoh stood up to 'thank' him for a 'wonderful job'.
Ojidoh told Adamu that he would be happy to die a happy man any moment from now if like he (Adamu) has assured, there would not be any power tussle between the NFF and the NPL again.
The drama did not end there as the NPL Chairman, Chief Oyuki Obaseki, who was allegedly the target of Adamu, using the Lulu-led board, continuously hailed the Ogbomosho-born administrator a 'man of God' while introducing him to the high table.
Whether Adamu understood the satire is another thing but he should have since in his heart he knows he was neither an ordained man of God nor a prophet.
While the NPL/NFF 'war' lasted, the world was made to believe that the issue was the appointment of referees for league matches but to the initiated, they knew it was the Globacom money that was the root of it all.
An officer of the NFF media department said so much in a note to Saturday Vanguard sports then. According to him, the NPL was becoming swollen headed because of the Globacom money, stressing that the league body was supposed to pay some percentage of the sponsorship money to the NFF but failed to do so.
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Like Pa Ojidoh said at the seminar last week, it is hoped that the 'war' is truly over and that the NPL will be allowed to organise the league for the benefit of football development in the country.
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