The December 31, 2004 deadline slammed on the Nigeria Football Association, NFA, by the world soccer ruling body, the Federation of International Football Association, FIFA, to repeal the notorious Decree 101 of 1992 or face sanctions is, no doubt, good news for the administration of football in Nigeria. Indeed, it is the elixir needed to set on the right course, Nigerian football, which has been trapped under the weight of undue government interference, red tape and mismanagement of human and material resources.
FIFA�s rules and statutes stipulate, among others, that membership of the Football Association Board shall be by election and the Secretary General shall be answerable to the Board, while the body shall be self-financing to guarantee its independence and optimal performance.
But that is the exact opposite of what is happening in Nigeria. The Federal Government promulgated Decree 101, an offshoot of Decrees 10 and 11, in flagrant violation of FIFA�s guidelines. The Decree gives the Minister of Sports the power to appoint a staff of the ministry as the Chief Executive of the NFA Board. The government also appoints four other members of the Board. As the Chief Executive officer, the Secretary General is superior to the Chairman and members of the 22-member Board. He is responsible to the Sports Minister. The Decree also empowers the National Sports Commission (NSC) to �give the association (NFA) directives of a general or specific nature� and �to establish and maintain a fund which shall be defrayed with the general or specific approval of the NSC.� The Commission�s duties have now been taken over by the Sports Ministry.
FIFA�s Committee of National Associations, at its recent meeting, resolved to whip the NFA into line by giving a three-month ultimatum to conform to its rules or face sanctions. While FIFA�s efforts at rescuing the NFA from the suffocating grip of the government are commendable, it is curious that it took it over a decade to wield the big stick. Or could it be that the world soccer ruling body was kept in the dark for so long over an issue that so grossly violated its Constitution?
Be that as it may, government�s clumsy presence in football management has not been beneficial to the growth of the game. The country has lost international laurels in the past decade as a result of undue government interference, unstable policies and systemic corruption. FIFA�s ultimatum offers the Federal Government a unique opportunity to extend its ongoing reforms to soccer and indeed, sports administration.
The crusade against government intervention in sports administration is more than two decades old. It was responsible for the protests leading to the boycott of Moscow �80 by the Western nations and the reprisal boycott of Los Angeles �84 by Moscow and its allies. Nigeria�s decision to join the bandwagon in 1992 was not only unfashionable but also retrogressive.
All over the world, football has now become a big money spinner. In the hands of competent administrators, the crowd-pulling game can conveniently pay its way. Such managers who recognize the huge business potentials of football only need to partner with the private sector to succeed. And that partnership is always symbiotic. While more funds flow into football management from the private sector, the firms involved reap increased sales, improved image and goodwill.
The Sports Ministry should therefore limit itself to providing sporting infrastructure. Nigeria should be wary of incurring the wrath of FIFA, considering the 1989 two-year suspension slammed on it for presenting over-aged players at the Seoul �88 Olympics. Earning a second ban is not good for the nation�s image.
