By Maduabuchi Kalu on July 10, 2016

Following the insistence of the Amaju Pinnick led board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), to hire a foreign coach for the national team, former member of Delta State Sports Commission, Hon. Ejiro Etoroma, has come hard on the country’s football governing body.

According to the seasoned sports administrator, the insistence of the Federation on a foreign coach at this very critical period of the country’s economic situation points to the fact that there is a sinister motive behind this move for a foreign technical hand despite the fact that well meaning Nigerians in various times advised against the idea.

He said as far as he is concerned, there is no other reason behind the insistence by the NFF to go for a foreign coach than personal aggrandizement. Hon. Etoroma, who represented Delta South Senatorial Zone at the – three-man Commission in the last regime in the state, explained that the quest to enrich individual nests rather than national interest remains the motivating factor behind the quest by the NFF for a foreign coach for the Super Eagles.

“It is really unfortunate that we are back to this point whereby instead of paying more attention on how to ensure that we do not miss out on Russia 2018, we are busy talking about a foreign coach even when the economic reality in the country does not favour it,” Etoroma said.

“It is not as if I am against a sound foreign coach for the Super Eagles for that matter, but the question is, does the NFF have the resources to foot the bill? It is a well known fact that almost all the coaches who have worked for the Federation are being owed.

“So, if they have the resources to hire a foreign coach who for sure would be paid in hard currency, why owing local coaches? The former substantive coach of the Eagles, Sunday Oliseh is still calling the Federation to pay him. So, where will the money to foot the bill of a foreign coach come from? Etoroma queried.

“I am of the view that there is a sinister motive behind all this. Of course the foreign coach would be paid in hard currency. One cannot rule out the possibility of them agreeing a different fee with would be coach and them telling Nigerians a different thing entirely. All I am saying is   that there must be something they are not telling Nigerians,” Etoroma said.

Continuing, Etoroma said: “I am aware that the Federation told us that it was discussing with an oil company that will pick the bills but the some of us are skeptical about that pronouncement because of our recent experience.

“It was the same NFF that told the world that Zenith Bank Plc was to pay the wages of Oliseh but today what do we have? We don’t want the Oliseh saga to repeat itself,” Etoroma said.

•Photo shows Pinnick.

Source Daily Sports

Posted July 10, 2016

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