The Guild of Sports Editors has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what it described as a bold intervention to reform Nigerian football following the resignation of the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
In a statement signed by its President, Tony Ubani, after an emergency meeting, the Guild said the resignation of NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, the General Secretary and members of the Executive Committee should mark the beginning of genuine and far-reaching reforms in Nigerian football.
The Guild expressed concern over the decline in the country’s football fortunes, citing the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for consecutive FIFA World Cups, Nigeria’s absence from the FIFA U-17 and U-20 World Cups, declining performances by Nigerian clubs in CAF competitions and the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time.
It urged the National Sports Commission (NSC) to ensure that the proposed Normalisation Committee comprises individuals with proven integrity, competence and commitment to football development.
The Guild warned against using the committee to reward political associates or recycle individuals who contributed to the problems facing Nigerian football.
It called for a clearly defined mandate, membership criteria and timetable for the committee, stressing that it must have a fixed exit date.
According to the Guild, the reform process should include a comprehensive review of the statutes and governance structure of Nigerian football, a transparent electoral system and stronger accountability mechanisms.
It also called for the resolution of legal questions surrounding the identity and status of the country’s football governing body, particularly the use of the names Nigeria Football Federation and Nigeria Football Association.
The Guild further demanded a comprehensive forensic audit of the NFF’s finances, contracts, assets and activities, insisting that the resignation of former officials should not halt ongoing investigations into alleged financial misconduct.
It maintained that resignation should not shield anyone found to have abused their position or mismanaged the resources of Nigerian football from accountability.
The Guild also urged the Federal Government and NSC to consult FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) throughout the reform process, while stressing that football autonomy should not be interpreted as freedom from accountability.
It said it would closely monitor the selection of members of the Normalisation Committee and the implementation of the reform process.
The Guild described the current situation as a rare opportunity to rebuild Nigerian football and urged the government to ensure that the process produces lasting changes based on transparency, competence, accountability and sustainable development.
