Former president of the Nigeria Football federation (NFF), Sani Lulu Abdullahi has exonerated himself of being involved in any financial recklessness and misappropriation during his stewardship as NFF president. He challenged anybody who has contrary opinion to come out with facts and figure.
Lulu was reacting to recent comments by Rivers State governor and chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Super Eagles’ 2010 World Cup qualification, Rotimi Ameachi that the erstwhile NFF board was also corrupt. But Lulu exonerating himself said he had recently published financial details of his four years stewardship as the NFF president in two national dailies and expected anybody with supportive facts to debunk the presentations or keep quiet and remain silent than to mislead the public for selfish motives.? “I am more than ever before overwhelmed to address this matter taking into cognizance the fact that I had recently through a paid advertorial in two of Nigeria’s most widely read national dailies, published the details of my service at the NFF (emphatically as contained therein as the financial statement of my stewardship). It is therefore expected that in a civil society like ours, any patriotic citizen should either make critical submission with supportive facts to debunk my presentation or remain silent as was the case before this unfortunate outburst by this governor,” he stated.
He challenged the PTF chairman to a public debate to substantiate the corruption allegation he labeled against his board with facts or retract the comments. He accused the governor of misapplied funds raised by PTF instead of using it for the primary idea the task force was formed. He said his board left $1,400,000 in FIFA account for the construction of NFF headquarter presently being built by PTF. “The PTF funds are now currently being misapplied in the construction of NFF headquarters when it was evident that my exco had completed the design, and at the time of my illegal impeachment was ready for construction with the aid of a total sum of $1,400, 000 in FIFA account.”
According to him, Governor Ameachi came to PTF to pursue an unpatriotic service, stressing that when his baseless recommendation to President Goodluck Jonathan to withdraw Nigeria from FIFA’s organized competitions for two years failed to see through, he went ahead to execute option available to him to protect his interest by illegally and unlawfully carried out impeachment of his team.
He added that out of the over N1billion donated to PTF to support the Super Eagles’ 2010 World Cup participation, no amount was released to his NFF board and that even when they contacted the Ameachi led PTF to remit either the N700, 0000, 000 or part to add to the N1.5billion approved to them by the federal government in 2010 budget to make up their N2.20billion budget for Nigeria’s participation in both Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup, it was denied them.
?