Featured

Again, Gara Gombe Distance Self From Bubayero’s Match-Fixing Scandal

Published

6 years ago

December 20, 2020

The former chairman of Gombe State Football Association, Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe has again opened up on the match-fixing scandal involving a team from Gombe State, Bubayero FC in 2013 Division 3 play-off of the nationwide league and exonerated himself of any involvement in the ‘scandalous score-line’.

He attributed the latest move by some certain individuals to link him with the ‘scandalous match-fixing’ nine-year after the NFF investigative committee found culprits found guilty and banned them for life, as a calculated attempt to smear his image.

The renowned sports critics however challenge anybody with fresh facts and proof of his involvement in the scandalous match-fixing to come out publicly and prove his case, saying he is not scared of anything as the facts of none his involvement in the Bubayero 67 goals scandal is there for everyone to verify.
“I’m surprised that whenever I raised the issue about people instead of them to defend themselves or say their own side of the story, they would be digging stories that are neither here nor there or don’t have any strength to stand the test of time.

‘On the issue of the scandalous and embarrassing match-fixing incident where a team from Gombe State, Bubayero conceded 67 goals against Police Machine and Plateau United Feeders were 79-0 victory over Akubra FC from Nasarawa. That particular match was played in Bauchi and four teams were involved. But only one would qualify to play in the Nationwide League and I was told that goal difference will be used to determine who qualifies.

“My team, Bubayaro FC. I made it clear right from day one that I did not form the club for competition, not to play in the league because it is going to be a waste of time. I formed the club for developmental purposes. That faithful week when the incident happened, I was in Lagos and I read on social media that my own team was in Bauchi to participate in the playoff with Police Machine.

So, I immediately called the secretary of the club and asked him how did they got to Bauchi and under who permission, he said the chairman of Gombe State Sports Commission was the one that gave them money to travel to Bauchi and ask him how, or under what circumstances did the chairman gave you money to travel for the match?

“I immediately instructed him to enter the next bus with the team and return back to Gombe. But against my wish, he refused to come back to Gombe. I then sent the coordinator of the club from Gombe who was also LMC match commissioner, Ibrahim, to go to Bauchi in the morning before they start the match and return with the club back to Gombe. Unfortunately, they refused to heed my advice. In the evening I read that they conceded 67 goals. I immediately disbanded the club.

“After disbanding the club, I wrote a letter to the General Secretary of NFF, informing him about the disbandment of the club following that embarrassing and shameful act by the team and officials. The NFF acknowledged my letter and I copied CAF and FIFA because two days after, the news was all over the world. I also spoke to a BBC reporter who called me to ask why I took such prompt and bold action to disband the team after investing so much in the club. I told him that I don’t support match-fixing and any act that would damage the game of football. He thanked me and appreciated my position. Someone from FIFA also called me after receiving my letter to thank me for my courage.

“The NFF set up a committee under the chairmanship of Chief Mike Umeh and the secretary was Dr. Muhammed Sanusi who is now General Secretary of NFF but he was head of competitions then. There were other members of the committee to investigate and try those involved in the scandalous match-fixing. The match officials, the players of the two teams, and their officials, all appeared before the panel and they were found guilty of match-fixing offenses. Some of them were banned for life while others were banned for 10 years.

“Those proactive actions that I took exonerated me. The committee never invites me nor tried me because God knows that I know nothing about it. I didn’t even stop at that since the team that scored my team 67 goals happened to be the Police team, I petitioned the Inspector General of Policy, reporting he should investigate what happened and jailed whoever needs to be jailed for the offense.

“If the NFF could not find me guilty, the Police did not find me guilty, I was not in Bauchi, I didn’t speak to anybody about the match apart from the fact that I asked my team not to participate in the playoffs and go back to Gombe. Some people are today, nine years later, trying by force to mention my name and how my team was involved in match-fixing. I was not banned but if they want to retry the case, it is their own problem, I don’t care because the facts are there.

“The report of the committee is there, Dr. Sanusi is alive, Mike Umeh is alive, other members of the panel who investigated the matter are also alive. The IGP who I wrote the petition to investigate the matter is still alive, the documents and the letters I wrote to NFF, CAF, and FIFA are all there for anyone to verify.

“I challenge anybody to come out to show how I was involved in that match-fixing scandal. I can never do that. But those who are involved in match-fixing in Nigeria we know them. Let them continue talking, one day we’ll expose them. The struggle to liberate Nigeria’s football administration and management from corrupt elements has started. For 15-year I have ion this I will not stop. If you have anything against me bring up and I have my defense, be ready to come up with your own defense.” Gara Stated.

Share on Facebook

Featured

Alake Inaugurates Nigeria-US Solid Minerals Committee, Dismisses $700bn Claim, Says No Assets Sold

Published

17 hours ago

October 28, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, on Tuesday inaugurated the Nigeria-United States Committee on Strategic Cooperation in the Solid Minerals Sector in Abuja, dismissing reports that Nigeria sold $700 billion worth of solid minerals to the US.

The inauguration followed the strategic cooperation framework established between Nigeria and the United States during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head PRESS and Public Relations Department Mrs. Kania Maliki Andeyaba stated that, Alake in the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed with the US is a government-to-government platform to facilitate business-to-business engagements between American investors and Nigerian local operators, not a sale of assets.

Harping on the importance of the solid minerals sector to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic diversification agenda, he noted that the administration was committed to reducing dependence on a mono-product economy through the sustainable development of Nigeria’s vast mineral resources.

According to him, the Nigeria–US partnership as a strategic initiative to attract investment, promote technology transfer, strengthen local mineral processing and create employment opportunities.

“There is no sale of any Nigerian asset. There’s nothing exchanging hands,” Alake declared.

“We created a platform to facilitate mingling of US investment ventures with Nigeria’s local operators. It is in the public domain. We signed it in public and published it in four or five national newspapers.”

The Minister said reports claiming the US was coming to take over Nigeria’s minerals and security architecture were untrue at best and products of riotous imagination at worst.

Explaining the policy thrust, Alake said Africa has historically held the short end of the stick in global economic transactions, and Nigeria is determined to change that model.

“We have the resources, the critical elements the world needs to transit to clean energy. So we are creating a new paradigm — you bring your capital, expertise and technology, to match with our natural resources and create a win-win situation . The investor gains, Nigeria gains.’’he said.

Nigeria, he stressed, had operated a mono-cultural economy dependent on oil, while solid minerals were exploited informally — with ores taken “from pit to port” without value addition.

Alake said government has now made local processing mandatory, refusing to grant mineral titles to investors without a clear pathway to processing in Nigeria.

He said the policy led to the springing up of processing factories, including the largest lithium processing plant in West Africa commissioned recently in Nasarawa by the Vice President, and informed the formation of the African Minerals Strategy Group.

Alake noted that investor confidence has returned due to macro-economic reforms by President Bola Tinubu that guarantee security of tenure and repatriation of profits.

He charged the committee to discharge its assignment responsibly, saying its work is strategic to achieving the President’s $1 trillion economy target.

To this end, he told the Committee to ensure effective coordination, identify investment opportunities and translate the framework into measurable outcomes capable of positioning Nigeria as a competitive player in the global solid minerals industry.

In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, said the inauguration translates growing bilateral engagements into a structured framework for practical cooperation and investment mobilization

Economic Officer at the US Embassy, Jonathan Baas, said President Donald Trump has prioritized three areas for US embassies — energy, artificial intelligence/super intelligence, and critical minerals.

Baas said Washington’s direction is to work with partners to secure critical supply chains while ensuring partners capture value.

“We just signed a contract today on looking into building AI data centres in Nigeria at the Nigerian Economic Summit. That’s the direction Washington wants us to go,” he said.

In his vote of thanks, CEO/Managing Director of Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, NSMC said that the committee

is expected to coordinate implementation, facilitate investment and monitor progress towards achieving the objectives of the Nigeria–US cooperation framework.

The inauguration reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning the solid minerals sector as a key driver of economic diversification, industrial development and national prosperity under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Share on Facebook