Buhari has created enabling environment for football in Nigeria – Pinnick

Nigeria Football Federation, President, Amaju Pinnick has stated that Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has created enabling environment for the development of football in the country, National Daily gathered.

“Buhari has created enabling environment for football to thrive in Nigeria. He intervened during the crises in the NFF and if he did not intervene, trust me, Nigeria would not have qualified for the U17 and U20 African Championships. The Falcons would not have played in the Ghana 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations and the Super Eagles would not have qualified for Egypt 2019 AFCON.

“When we were having the crises, Super Eagles were at the bottom of the log in the AFCON qualifiers but now we are on top and have qualified with a game to spare. We are not emotional about this, it is not about politics. I am telling you, the president has done extremely well in changing the face of football in the country and supporting the NFF.”

Pinnick explained to National Daily  that  on September 20, 2018 re-elected for another four-year term as NFF supremo, said that but for the President’s intervention during the imbroglio that engulfed the football family after the world Cup, Nigeria would not have recorded laudable achievements in the round leather game in recent times such as the nation’s qualification for the AFCON U17 and U20 championships as well as the Super Eagles qualification for Egypt 2019 AFCON tournament.

On the lingering issue of the sports ministry not releasing fund to the federation and NFF not accessing FIFA funds, Pinnick said although he had been avoiding coming out with the issue of the sports ministry not releasing fund to the federation but added that the federation has a good relationship with FIFA and will access its grants when necessary.

“In 2016 there was a new FIFA headed by Infantino and one of their cardinal principles is to change the governance structure as it relates to fiscal discipline and disbursement of funds and earnings. FIFA uses PWC and we also use PWC so it is a matter of the two PWCs working together and be harmonised.

FIFA wanted to be giving us $50, 000 presentations but we said no. we want our money in bulk so that once we have it, we need to put up a legacy structure, develop infrastructure. We have our goal project and we need to possibly rebuild it. We need to talk to stakeholders and tell them how much we have and ask them what we could do with it.

“So we don’t have any issues with FIFA, it is completely out of the question. We have a robust relationship with FIFA  and they respects us.

They have not stopped our funding. Our funding is hundred per cent with them and we don’t have any issues with them. If we want the money today, we will get it immediately but what we are looking at are things we need to do with the money.

We have a goal project that we are trying to develop; we are looking at states that do not have football presence in terms of facilities and infrastructure. And there are no issues with that.

“Then the issue of lack of funding from the ministry, I have been very reluctant about coming out. I have deep respect for the ministry and the Honourable Minister but when it comes to issues that affects our integrity, I think we also need to come out and speak.

“It was quoted that the minister said that we need to account for about N1.6 billion World Cup funds because Nigeria did not reach the quarterfinal stage. Before the World Cup proper, we had meetings and everything we did, we discussed on areas NFF will fund and even state governments.