A passionate appeal has been made to Presidency to set up a probe panel to investigate how the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) led by Alhaji Aminu Maigari squandered a huge amount of money left by Alhaji Suni Lulu led Board and the annual subvention from both the Federal Government of Nigeria and FIFA which included the sponsorship package from the telecommunication giant, Globalcom.

This call which was made by a member of Women Football Congress, a pressure group formed by women football stakeholders to address problems facing the development of the game became necessary when all efforts made by various clubs playing in the Women Football League in Nigeria could not get and assistance from the Women League Board.

And to further rub salt into their injuries, none of the Club owners were not also listed by NFF to benefit from any of the international trips made so far by all the 3 female National teams.

An active member of the Nigerian Female Football Congress who does not want his name in print stated that it is wicked and inhuman for Maigari to ignore women football and relegate it to the background.

He went further, “ Maigari should be probed and ask how he wasted the funds that belong to women football on settlements of his aggrieved opponents in male football. He inaugurated some committees which have some aggrieved stakeholders in men football, this committee was well funded since its formation.

“Now, he has also packed those who have no relevance to women football development in the county and secured visas for them to attend the U20 World Cup in Japan. These include members of his board that recently threatened him with impeachment, tell me what manner of leader is Maigari”? the club owners fumed. 

When contacted a member of Women League Board, who also owned a female football club, Adebowale Adeoye, for his reaction he confirmed that NFF has not released any fund to Women's League this year, an action he equally condemned and termed, ‘discrimination against women football and women folk in general.

He also called on President Jonathan to direct EFCC to investigate how NFF wasted Women League fund on frivolities, saying It is silly and barbaric seeing those who have not and cannot add any value to women football on the list of people traveling abroad with the female national team.

“Why do we like wasting tax payers money”, he demanded, adding that “We are preparing our petition and it will soon get to the table of relevant authorities for action and proper investigation.
 
“We know it will get to a situation that some leaders will be able to hold their head and reject Maigari’s settlement. We have lost confidence in some institutions because once they have their names listed for overseas trip by Maigari, they lose their head. We need revolution to get things right. I want to advice President Jonathan once more to act on this now to prevent it from joining the wagon of problems already on ground, like insecurity, budget issue, PHCN, oil subsidy palaver and others”.

“Let there be immediate action against politicians who are parading themselves as sports administrators to be able to curb corruption and drive away the intruders we have now as sports administrators, this will stop re-occurrence of London Olympic show of shame”, Adeoye noted.

Akanbi Agiri