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NFF Vs BSN Sports: The World Will Know The Truth – BSN counsels

Published

6 years ago

May 23, 2019

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dragged an online sports
publication, www.bsnsports.com.ng to court over a publication on the
website of the medium on 29th August, 2018, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report authoritatively.

www.bsnsports.com.ng which enjoys an extensive readership across the globe had run a story on the said date with the caption, ‘U-20 World Cup: Allowance Scandal Hit Falconets.’

In a civil matter, the NFF through suit case number FCT/HC/CV/975/19 instituted by its Head of Women Football, Ruth David dragged the Abuja-based online sports newspaper and its editor to a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Kwali, Abuja over allegations of false
report and defamation.

Meanwhile, BSN Sports as guaranteed by constitution expressed its principle of objectiveness as the writer in trying to balance the story as
the ethics of the job demands, called and quoted the Head of Women Football in the NFF, Miss Ruth David who denied the information and claimed that the Falconets and the officials of the team have been paid and that
no money got missing.

Despite fulfilling what professionalism of the job demanded, she however, not satisfied with the report, Ruth then in 2018 dragged the online newspaper, BSN Sports and its Editor to court over what she claimed to be a defamatory report.

She said the report defamed her character and portrayed her personality in bad light and slammed a suit of Twenty Million Naira (N20m) only on the newspaper.

But, when the case came up Thursday 23rd May, 2019 before Justice
Anna Iyabeni Akobi, seating at FCT High Court in Kwali Area Council, BSN Sports secured the services of Barrister Samuel Ihensenkien, an
activist, constitutional, criminal, and human right lawyer and Barrister Fayaienjigha Israel Jacob as its defence counsels.

The two defence counsels expressed the optimism that the whole world will know the truth about some of the affairs at the Nigeria Football Federation by the time the suit will come to a reasonable conclusion.

Ihensenkien has won many high profile cases in the past such as Federal Government of Nigeria Vs Nnamdi Kanu, Ekere Madu in his case vs DSS in 2015, Ekeson Plaza Vs AMAC and also Ekeson Plaza Vs Abuja Environmental Protection
Board (AEPB) to mention but a few.

Ihensenkien based on his wealth of experience was able to argue BSN’s case logically and the court on the grounds of fair hearing adjourn the case for defendant counsels to file their defence. As Ihensekhien Samuel Junior Esq was recently briefed the judge adjourned the case to 25th June, 2019.

In his reaction after the court process, Sam Junior (the human right lawyer, BSN Sports counsel) said: “We have
done our best today and the matter is adjourned till on the 25th June
and with everything we will put together, we should be able to put up
a defense so that the whole world will know the truth. I am confident
that at the conclusion of this matter, there will be an expose and the
truth will come out as regards some state of affair at the NFF.

“Definitely, all that will be put in our statement of defense. This case is a pointer to some of the things that is going on at the NFF.”

The judge adjourned the case to 25th June 2019 for hearing and asked
the plaintiff to come to court with their two witnesses.

Below is the excerpt of the “defamatory” story

U-20 World Cup: Allowance Scandal Hit Falconets
0 Comments, 29/08/2018,

by Niyi Busari

U-20 World Cup: Allowance scandal hits Falconets
…We have not been paid – athletes, officials
…They have all been paid – NFF staff

Like the dawn of a new day, another scandal of funds mismanagement has rocked the U-20 camp of the Falconets with the controversy over the non payment of camp allowances.

Coaches and athletes in the camp insisted with vehemence that they were not paid their camp allowance but the NFF official attached to the team insisted they all have been paid.

BSNsports investigation across board the number of players and officials sampled had a single voice, “we have not been paid” while the lone ranger is Miss Ruth David, who is insisting “I have paid them all.”

Like a stoking fire, it was an official who snitched that he is yet to earn from his sweat. When cross checked and there was denial, the story was expanded and it was rife that the team was not paid.

An NFF staffer pointed out that, “that is the trend in our female national teams since the Amaju Pinnick regime.

Ordinarily, Miss David is not supposed to handle cash. It is the team secretary that was meant by work schedule to handle cash. Who gave her the responsibility to handle the cash? That is the point to start the investigation.

Every team she had handled had the same problem of non full payment and no one dares complain.”

One of the athletes added that “we have not been paid all our 14-days camping allowances in Austria.

Quoting what they were told in Austria, “an NFF official claimed that the head of women football, Ruth David, lost £10,000. They said the money will be paid after the tournament.”
A coaching staff corroborated the story saying “we really suffered in Austria.

Thank God for the Sports Minister who came and dropped some personal cash for us. We were promised that we will receive the money before we go to France but it never come.

“Even as I talk to you, we are owed the 14-day camping allowances which they have not paid till now. They said the head of women football in NFF lost £10,000 so we can’t collect our money until we reach Nigeria and up till now, we have not heard anything,” said another member of the team.
When our correspondent called Ruth David, she denied the allegation of losing any money and stated clearly that NFF is not owing neither the players nor the coach a dime.

She confidently asked our correspondent to come to the NFF office to see all the documents that were used in paying their entitlements. She concluded that she will not present the documents unless the newspaper’s sources are mentioned.

“Who said so, we are not owing anybody a dime. All their money were paid before we leave (sic) France. You can come to the office to see all the documents for yourself, but not until you tell me the official who told you this, I will not show you the documents. ”

She said and angrily dropped the call.

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Featured

Dikko And The New Vision Accountability and Development in Sports

Published

1 week ago

December 16, 2024

The Gleamer

Felly Mammah N.

Since the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhaji Shehu Dikko assumed office on the 30th of October, 2024, he has systematically and deliberately been putting in place structures that would result to proper development of sports in Nigeria. Shortly after he was first appointed by President Bola Tinubu as a leading strength of sports, the Director General (DG), Hon. Bukola Olapade was appointed to compliment his efforts.

Many sports analysts believe that the duo of Dikko and Olapade who have been very visible in sports administration will be one of the best combination to take the sports sector to the next level. The DG no doubt, is the head of administration in the Commission, but it should be noted that the financial enablement to manage the affairs of staff and the political might that shops for the finance needed in the running of the sector rest on the Chairman who has the task of liaising with the President directly.

It is also, worthy to note that there is a huge difference between the administration of in the Civil Service as it is controlled by a Permanent Secretary and Directors while the administration of a Commission involves Board Members and experts whose voices and actions are also, game-changing; more so as Commissioners are likely going to take charge of the different zones to proffer solutions for a way forward. The defunct Ministry of Youths and Sports Development which later in 2023 metamorphosed into the Ministry of Sports Development on the assumption of President Bola Tinubu, produced a minister who was not versed in sports administration and as a result, faced mass criticism especially from men of the media.

These men of the pen profession are the torchlight of global sporting activity; they equally keep the history of both sports participation globally as well as the records of athletes’ performances. Their torchlight on past Minister’s and particularly the recent past, have revealed that most of the people who presided over sports administration do not really have any knowledge of the sector before their appointment.

The exit of the immediate past Minister, Sen. John Owan Enoh, refreshingly paved the way for change and this has brought in sports personnels that are expected to place sporting activities in the digital world. Suffice it to also, say that the new management of Sports Commission in parts of her changes is expected to sanitize athletes’ attitude and character for better reflection of children who have seen and communicated with their peers in the Western world.

However, the clarion call for President Tinubu to remove politics in sports may have changed the leadership of sports going by what many sports fans saw in the last outing of both Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, where a country like Nigeria did not measure up to her potentials.

Despite the poor performance of atheletes during the World Olympics Games, the past immediate past Minister deserves to be commended that during his tenure, the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Games was reawakened as the participation of our Super Eagles brought back hope and jubilation to sports fans including the President and higher authorities. Yes whopping sum of N12 Billion was released two weeks to the Olympics Games and at a time the country was not financially stable. Despite the presidential financial support, the medals presented to the country were crisis and ignorant of both the atheletes, Nigeria Olympic Committee and the Atheletic Federaton to do the needful.

Therefore, it is heart-warming that the President harkened to the appeal of his fellow sports lovers to handpick a known figure in the sports arena to share his wealth of experience that gave him both a name in Sports and positions as the former Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Chairman League Management Company (LMC), FIFA match Commissioner of significance, 2nd Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and presently, CAF Committee Member, in addition to his new portfolio as Chairman NSC.

My reference point here is that Alh. Dikko has been given the authority to effect positive change in sports sector, co-ordinate over 40 Sports Federations in the sector, welcome ideas of both sports stakeholders, individuals and veterans of sports that will enable him x-ray the reasons for poor performances in the sector and to chat a way forward for success story. There can never be a new testament without an old testament, thus the reason Alh. Dikko’s doors have remained opened to receive courtesy calls that included the visits by past administrators and foreigners who want to facilitate with whom the cap fits.

Still, in the mood of celebration to formally welcome Alh. Dikko to office was the peculiar power of sports which gathered momentum and the crowd for happy moments as seen in the recent novelty match organized by his friends, associates and sports veterans at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja recently. That gathering clearly announced not just a man who has made a name for himself at a height in global political decision making in sports circle, but a man who has also, given voice to our country’s leagues and international activities.

Sports is a significant sector that comprises emotion, tension, happiness, sadness even death and hope irrespective of the fact that it has the potential to feed many mouths. The sector cannot be compared to other Ministries with delayed bureaucracies and frustration of abilities. While in the civil service the head will rather submerge a growing talent for fear of power thrown, a coach who discovers a talent takes the credit for showcasing a star athelete discovered. Sports has been proven to generate revenue as well as attract public partnership which are all aimed at enhancing podium performance by the athletes.

Shehu Dikko’s business vision and wide participation in football contributed in making him the right candidate to place the sector in its expected level, increase the GDP of the country’s economy and equally be accountable with administrative roadmap for success.

The novelty match organised for him by his sports fans and League managers had the likes of Samson Siasia, Victor Ikpeba, Mutiu Adepoju, Dominic Iorfa, Ahmed Musa in attendance to share their joy with him as they displayed their talent with their foot.
Others that graced the occasion were Super Sports General Manager, Felix Nwogu, former and present Chairmen of House Committee on Sports, NFF President, NOC members and persons from across the globe. That singular act indicated a clear fact that Dikko can actually gather momentum with persons that can support his ideology to deliver as charged by the presidency.

However, the Chairman’s meekness to open his doors to all does not mean weakness neither does it mean that he has not commenced work officially. His work is more of brain tasking because ideas actually rule the world. I will boldly say that he has resumed work with like minds that will not only be on the same page with him but will as well be on success Guinness Book with him.

Felly Mammah N.
Press Officer (NSC).

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