Amiesimaka Ties Football Growth To NFF Act Repeal

Former football international, Adokiye Amiesimaka, says Nigeria Football may only develop, when the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Act 2004 section 19 which gives the Sports Minister power to control the NFF board is amended.

He said the problem of the nation’s football was neither caused by one individual, nor the board but the structure on ground.

Amiesimaka a left winger, who was among the Green Eagles team that won the first African Nations Cup for Nigeria in 1980 made the assertion in an exclusive interview with Tidesport on Monday in Port Harcourt.

He explained that the Act was an impediment to the rapid development of football in the country, adding that it gives the Minister of Sports much powers to supervise and issue directives to the NFF board.

“I am telling you that NFF Act , 2004 , Section 19, metamorphosed from 1992. It stated that the Sports Minister of Nigeria has the power to issue  directives, either of a specific or general nature to the board of NFF.

According to him, so long as NFF is subject to the  whims and caprices of the Sport Minister, there is every tendency that football development and management would be in a mess.

“Football is being run by the Sports Minister in Nigeria, the best thing to do is to completely repeal the Act. FIFA is not against government partnering with NFF, but they do not want government to run it as a day to day business”, he stated.

Amiesimaka, who was  also one time Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General in Rivers State explained that any decision relating to football was supposed to be taken by NFF, saying that the functions of  the sports ministry was to provide training centres, play grounds in all the local government areas, stadiums, facilities development and policy formation.

He used the forum to call on the relevant authorities to groom players from 12 years and not use over-aged players in age grade tournaments.

Tonye Orabere