Group protests plot to extend Sanusi’s tenure as NFF secretary

A group comprising stakeholders in the country’s football, known as Movement for the Advancement of Nigerian Football (MANF), has protest an alleged plot by a cabal in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to circumvent the body’s statute and extend the tenure of incumbent secretary-general of the federal, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, whose second term in office has ended.

Sanusi was first appointed NFF secretary-general in 2015 for a four-year tenure, which was extended in 2019 to a five-year term by the former NFF board, led by Amaju Pinnick.

MANF is alleging that a group in the NFF has concluded plans to compel the federation’s board to give the secretary another five years in office.

MANF’s National Convener, Olayiwola Akande, in a statement at the weekend, said: “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.

“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.”

MANF, therefore, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the “situation to safe the future of Nigerian football.”

Akande pointed out that Sanusi has been a contract staff member 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 said the search for a competent replacement of Sanusi should begin immediately with the advertisement of the position.

It added: “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 sporting tournaments like the Olympics and World Cup under the current secretary general. All its age grade teams are also failing due to incompetence and corruption.”

It added that unless the situation is urgently addressed, Nigerian football would not recover its position in the league of footballing nations.