Gombe carpets Amaju’s FIFA appointment News

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Gombe carpets Amaju’s FIFA appointment

By Augustine Kalu on January 27, 2017

Former Gombe State Football Association Chairman, Alhaji Shuaib Ahmed Gara Gombe, has questioned the recent appointment of the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick and declared it as something meant to spite CAF President, Issa Hayatou.

In an exclusive interview with Daily Sports, the experienced and down to earth football administrator explained that the appointment of Amaju Pinnick into the very important FIFA Organising Committee for Competitions is nothing but a reward for pledging his loyalty with FIFA President, Gianni Infantino instead of Issa Hayatou, the CAF President.

“Well, on Amaju’s appointment into the FIFA Organising Committee for Competition of FIFA, is nothing but a reward for his loyalty to the FIFA President, Gianni Infantino instead of Issa Hayatou, the CAF President,” Gombe stated.

“It is a known fact that there is a rift between FIFA President, Gianni Infantino and CAF President, Issah Hayatou.

“What Amaju’s appointment was meant for is to spite Hayatou and not necessarily to reward Amaju for his hard work to advance the cause of Nigerian Football. He is just profiting from the sour relationship between Hayatou and Infantino, that is what his appointment is all about,” Gombe declared.

Speaking further, Gombe, a former member of the board of the defunct Nigeria Football Association (NFA) said he was yet to understand why Amaju Pinnick was still at the helm of affairs at the Glass House. According to him, Amaju has committed offenses more than the three previous Presidents and Chairman of the football governing body that led to their removal and wondered why Amaju is still in office and Nigerians are keeping quite.

“Look, I don’t know why we are so docile as regards Amaju’s matter. I am saying this because we were in this country when three former eggheads of the Glass House were removed for not qualifying us to various competitions and Amaju has done that and we looked the other way as if nothing is happening.

“It is on record that Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima was removed from office simply because we couldn’t qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. That was his crime for removing him from office but today; it is on record that Amaju Pinnick did not qualify Nigeria to two consecutive Africa Cup of Nations competitions and he is in Gabon as one of the match commissioners to the ongoing 31st Africa Cup of Nations.

“Alhaji Sani Lulu was removed from office because his board was accused of inflating the cost of the Super Eagles bus and that the Hotel they paid for the Eagles in South Africa was below the standard recommended by FIFA and when they wanted to collect the payment made in that hotel, they were surcharged about 15 per cent of the total sum. That was what led to the removal of Lulu from office despite the fact that there has not been any clear evidence of the allegations against him and his board till date. I can tell you that some allegations of inflating the cost of certain things have been made against Amaju and nobody is saying anything.

“And again, Alhaji Aminu Maigari was removed from office because of insubordination against the then Minister of Sports, Dr Tammy Danagogo, who was the supervising Minster of all Sports in the country including football.

“Today, there are many cases of insubordination to the Honourable Minister of Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung by Amaju and he is sitting tight in office. I don’t really understand it.

“Today, even the press is keeping quite simply because probably he has bought them over. Those who are supposed to kick against the ills at the Glass House are keeping quiet and the result is what we are seeing today, our inability to qualify for Afcon for two consecutive times, the first in our history.

“It is most unfortunate that in this country, we seem not to reward hard work and competence rather we celebrate mediocrity. That is the reason somebody like Amaju Pinnick is still in the Glasshouse today and his being rewarded with both CAF and FIFA appointments as Afcon Match Commissioner and appointment into FIFA Organising Committee for Competitions.

“To tell you the type of blunder that Amaju has continued to commit and getting away with it is his recent move to seek CAF executive office without the endorsement of the Federal Government. What was he thinking? Before going to seek for that office, does he thinks that he was going to represent himself and as a result does not need the endorsement of the government?

“So, there are so many reasons Amaju ought to have been kicked out of office before now,” Gombe declared.

• Photo shows Gara Gombe.

Source Daily Sports

Posted January 27, 2017