••• Danagogo should quit now –Obienu

Erstwhile vice chairman of the Nigeria Football Association, Barrister Richard Obienu has called for the immediate resignation of Nigeria’s Sports Minister and Chairman, National Sports Commission, Dr. Tammy Danagogo.
Giving reason for taking the stance, Obienu said it is unfair of the minister to take sides with any party, as it concerns the elections into the executive board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), given the role he played in the ongoing crisis in Nigerian football house.
“I expect that as a federal minister, his role should be neutral, but his actions have shown that he has taken sides already, even before the issues are resolved. To accept the election of Giwa was too hasty in my thinking and it clearly showed where he belonged in all of this.”
He said the minister by his actions as regards the crisis dented the image of Nigeria that the government of Goodluck Jonathan is fighting hard to keep.
“The job of the minister in all of this is to steer clear and watch. If at the end of the day, the congress finishes with the elections and a report sent to FIFA, then he can speak. He should not be the judge of who is elected into the board.”
Though, Obienu admitted that government has every justification to monitor its funding of football, he however, maintained that it is out of place for government to be spending scarce tax funds of the citizens of Nigeria anyhow.
“The old saying of he who pays the piper dictates the tune is correct, but government should know that sports is not a charity outfit. Government should stop funding sports and stop meddling into matters that is not their concern. Sports is purely business and should be seen as such.
“Let’s take a closer look at the transfer window that ended September 1, the English Premier League, EPL has recorded close to a billion euros in the transfer of players. That is business for a whole lot of people that are associated with the game. It’s high time government put a stop to this waste of public fund in the name of grants to football and sports.
“Sports remains an industry the world over and the earlier we see it in the same light, the better for us all. There’re still villages in Nigeria where there are no drinking water, schools and hospitals. Government can channel its resources to these vital areas. Sports and particularly football can run itself if the right framework is put in place. Funding from FIFA as well as sponsors and partners will go a long way in keeping the game running if the funds are properly managed,” he stated.