Reps C’ttee on war path over non – appearance of NFF officials
….. as Ad’hoc committee summons NFF President, walks out Sec Gen
By Tom Okpe
The House of Representatives Ad’hoc Committee, investigating face off, between the Supper Falcons and Officials of the Nigeria Football Federation, (NFF), over non payment of allowances and entitlement appeared to be on a war path with the Chairman, House of Reps Standing Committee, Rep Ekene Adams.
This is due to a purported instruction given by Adams to the NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau to shun the invitation by Rep Blessing Onuh, Chairman of the House Committee investigating the face off.
It was gathered that Adams, had asked the NFF President not to appear before the Committee for reasons best known to him.
At sitting of the Committee on Tuesday, the chairman, Onuh, however, summoned the NFF President over failure to appear before the committee.
Re-inviting the NFF President, Onuh said sitting of the committee was not to witch hunt anyone but to discharge its functions in line with mandate of the House.
Onuh, while issuing the notice, frowned at the NFF President’s deliberate refusal to honour invitation of the Committee saying: “The NFF President was supposed to appear before the Committee on the 17th of August but unfortunately, didn’t, giving reasons that were not as important as the work of this Committee.
READ ALSO: UNICEF To Commit 270M USD To Integrate Humanitarian
“Nigerians are interested, Nigerians are watching. The girls did extremely well and they made Nigerians proud, so we shouldn’t take this investigative hearing likely.
“We gave an opportunity for the President of the NFF to appear before this Committee; I will say invariably, he is the one summoning us, he came up with an excuse that is not as important as what we have.
“The allowances and dues that were supposed to be paid to the female footballers, the Super Falcons, he turned it down, what is more important, is it for him to attend the FIFA Women Convention or to appear before this Committee,” she queried.
“And even at that, he sent his Special Assistance, (SA) that he won’t be able to make it, this simply means, he is taking us for granted, he is taking us for a ride and we will not tolerate it we will not,” she stated.
Speaking earlier, the NFF Secretary General, Dr Mohammed Sanusi said the NFF President could not attend the investigative hearing because of his ill-health.
The committee however, walked out the Secretary General Sanusi and his team who came to represent the NFF president.
Meanwhile, some concerned lawmakers under condition of anonymity at the sideline of the investigative hearing, accused the Chairman of the House standing Committee on Sports, Adams of frustrating the exercise.
They alleged that the NFF President was asked not to appear before the Ad’hoc committee for personal reasons.
