FIFA and Government interference

I am still going through FIFA’s response to the NFF’s proposed statutes sent without any solicitation to FIFA in a letter in December of 2009. It makes interesting study.

The following is an excerpt from the FIFA response document: ‘We would like to remind you that the NFF should be exclusively a private organisation. In fact, according to the FIFA statutes, the NFF is obliged to manage its affairs independently and ensure that its own affairs are not influenced by any third parties, i.e. it should be independent from any governmental influence. For the sake of completeness, we recommend revising art. 1 par.1 of the NFF statutes accordingly!’

It is clear from the above that FIFA does not take kindly to interference by governments in the general matter of its football activities. It sees any association with government as a potential source of interference and so does not openly encourage it and even, sometimes, when its attention is drawn to it and a crisis situation arises, FIFA punishes it.

Having said that the reality on ground is that with the way the world’s political landscape is shaped, it is virtually impossible for FIFA to put a total ban on all forms of government intervention in football matters. FIFA sometimes, on some critical matters, for example when certain financial and security guarantees for hosting of international competitions are required, expects governments to respond through their federations. Other instances could be when safety issues, or cases of disasters and accidents, occur or are of concern. Yet, even this kind of peripheral and incidental ‘relationship’ is never explicitly included in their statutes. FIFA maintains a dignified silence about any form of connection so that the basic philosophy of not dealing with governments can be maintained.

At the same time, in several parts of the world, particularly in countries of former eastern Europe, in communist and most third world countries, particularly from Africa and Asia, the game of football simply cannot survive without government participation in one form or the other. Aware of this situation FIFA turns a blind eye and pretends not to see its rules being flouted. That’s why in spite of the endless variants of the adaptation of FIFA statutes in country after country the organisation’s wheel continues to turn ceaselessly and seamlessly.

Why does FIFA operate with a seeming double standard – one for the advanced countries and the other for the less developed ones? It is a matter of economics and politics. The question is this: what does FIFA know that allows it condone the contradictions inherent in the administration of football in a country like Nigeria? Or do we sincerely think that FIFA does not know that: 1. Nigeria’s highest ranked football administrator, a very active and powerful member of FIFA’s Executive Committee is a respected and accomplished civil servant that rose through the football ranks for almost twenty years riding on the back of his position as a government official? 2. That the current President of the NFF was elected from his position as a Director in government service? (Incidentally, the FIFA General – Secretary actually supervised the election where Sani Lulu was elected on August 27, 2006 and so should know). 3. That the majority of the members of the General Assembly (the body that elects the NFF President) of the NFF are State FA chairmen and that ALL of them are government appointees? 4. That almost all the major clubs in the country are owned and funded by State governments? 5. That all the stadia except one or two in the country where football matches are played are owned by States and the Federal governments? 6. That no President or Chairman of the NFF can be elected without the gentle nudging and support of government. Government now could be the President, the Vice-President, The Minister of Sports, any powerful elements in government, political leadership of the party in government, the director-general of the Sports Ministry, and so on and so forth. The higher the authority interested in who becomes the chairman the higher the chances of success. But without question it is all down to government. In the special circumstances of Nigeria there is nothing wrong with that situation. For now it cannot be anyway else and even FIFA knows it.

Peculiar nature of Nigerian football

As I comment on this matter I am not in any danger of revealing any ‘secrets’ that are not common knowledge to FIFA and CAF. What applies to Nigeria applies to most other countries in the developing world. He who pays the piper dictates the tune. The private sector still cannot successfully run the full gamut of Nigerian football. Governments, at different levels and to different degrees, have had to play a major part in football matters. The result is that FIFA and CAF have had to turn away their eyes so that the system will work under the peculiar circumstances of this part of the world.

What is taboo is to shove what is going on in third world countries in FIFA’s face. What is taboo is to try and involve FIFA in the day to day organisation and running of national federations. What is taboo is to invite FIFA to come and examine the system or the process, or the details, of how things work. When any of the above is done, FIFA would not be able to bend the rules again to accommodate lapses or transgressions. Its hammer descends heavily on perpetrators. It is the fear of such sanctions that have become useful tools in the hands of those that can manipulate the system and get FIFA involved in advising, recommending, confirming or approving clauses in statutes in progress! The fear of a FIFA sanction, real or perceived, keeps government in check. That has been the weapon of the last two NFF regimes to attempt to succeed themselves. Without being invited FIFA would never have interfered or intervened in the elections into the Executive Committee of the NFF in 2005. Without been ‘invited’ they would also not contribute to the discussions on the 2010 elections. By suggesting, adopting, disregarding, or being silent on any part of the proposed Statutes sent to them by the NFF, they have indirectly been drawn into the election. By failing to comment on the issue of interference into the NFF in the elections of one of its members, the States Associations, FIFA has been used to ‘legitimise’ the process in the proposed Statutes! Surely several clauses will be challenged by stakeholders that can see through what is being planned before relevant authorities.

Nigerian football has worked and survived on its own, without FIFA interference in the form of solicited advise, recommendation, criticism, reaction, or what-have-you, for almost 60 years without the threat of sanctions over its administrative engagement. This prying in by FIFA and intervention in Nigeria’s domestic football affairs derived from Galadima’s struggle to succeed himself at the expiration of his tenure in 2005. He had to exclude government from the elections in order to succeed. The only way to do so was to dust up FIFA’s statutes and point out the ‘anomalies’ in the Nigerian version. FIFA would surely react in that case. That’s why FIFA initially and for a long time after stood resolutely behind its Statutes and behind Galadima who almost won the battle. But with the NFF secretariat shut against him, the association starved of funds, the secretariat in the hands of a civil servant, and a government man in CAF’s Executive Committee, the odds were too heavily stacked against him. FIFA’s statutes could never supersede the law and constitution of a country. That’s why Galadima could not survive and had to step aside and allow government have its way!

Wuru Wuru

A similar script is unfolding once again. With the letter to FIFA, an unwanted guest is been interested in the domestic affairs of Nigerian football. The document sent to FIFA by the NFF is a pointer to some conspiracy theory that will soon be revealed.

Meanwhile, the statutes, the way they are, must undergo more widespread and more rigorous scrutiny by all football stakeholders in the country before it can be passed for adoption by the congress of the NFF. It must reflect what works for Nigeria following the general principles laid down by FIFA. Stakeholders that must be consulted include the National Sports Commission, the House and Senate Committees on sports, as well as all the members of the NFF General Assembly! That way the interest of all including government will be protected and reflected in the final document that can now be sent to FIFA!

I can vouch that the interference of government in the activities of the present NFF is the lightest in the country’s football history. The present NFF has been run without any open and brazen intervention of government and any of its football agencies. The NFF board and its decisions have not been influenced by government interest at any level. That’s how free things have been these past 4 years.

The present Executive Committee can re-contest and even win to retain their places on the board, but they must do so on a level playing field, without changing the rules to suit their purpose, without committing illegality in the process, and without deploying powers they do not have. Using the fear of FIFA sanctions, or FIFA ‘approvals’ to confuse or subdue everyone this time will not work. The tenure of any executive committee will speak for it. If its tenure is seen as being very successful the members of the congress will return it. If not, it will be routed!

The problem with the present statutes proposed to FIFA is that in parts it contains clever clauses that will ease manipulation of the electoral process as well as the composition of the members of the congress.

A few things are obvious as things stand. Nigerian football has never been this poor. The fortunes of all the national teams have dwindled to unprecedented lows. When Nigeria was beaten by Niger two weekends ago and failed to qualify for the next CHAN, the event summed up what could be looked at as truly awful years in Nigerian football. No one can blame the outgoing board completely for the state of the game in the country, but what is clear is that whatever antidote they had put in place to arrest the situation did not halt the slide. The times, therefore, require a change of strategy and a change of critical indices and only wuru wuru can work. So they think!