By Harrison Jalla.   

Any patriotic Nigerian holding a public office or engaged in activism for a better Nigeria should expect the entrenched endemic corruption in the Nigerian system to fight back. The Obono Obla’s Case is a gang up by some filthy hands in the President Buhari Government and the opposition to halt a progressive fight against corruption by the Buhari government.                       

Those corrupt elements in our constituency (Nigeria football) who are celebrating Obono Obla”s suspension are wasting their time because he will come out clean after the investigation. 

And Obla couldn’t have been the problem of Amaju Pinnick and his gang. Before the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP) charged the NFF officials to court, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were already in court against Amaju Pinnick and his gang in charge number CR/324/18 before Hon. Justice Affen of the Federal Capital Territory High Court.

As we speak the Lagos zonal office of the (EFCC) has Jafaru Fadanari Mamza a chief accountant with the NFF in its custody since last week at the commission’s detention facility at Okotie-Eboh road Ikoyi Lagos. This was after releasing Chief Mike Itemuagbo, CEO of Padmozi Sports Marketing, the sole marketing consultant to the NFF whom the commission detained for two days in the course of investigating several billions of naira NFF sponsorship funds alleged to have been looted.                                   

In the coming weeks it will be clearer whether or not Obono Obla as Chairman of SPIP was biased against Amaju Pinnick and his gang or he was lawfully discharging his duties as head of an anti-graft agency in Nigeria and whether other anti-graft agencies in Nigeria are also biased against Pinnick and his gang.       

Nobody, not even President Buhari or any Attorney General, can save Pinnick and his gang, the impunity and recklessness they applied in embezzling, stealing and laundering the funds of the NFF is unprecedented and mind boggling.                             

And it will be wishful thinking to assume they can hang on to office while facing trial. The NANF can assure Nigerians that as soon as Pinnick and his gang are arraigned on the 26th of September 2019 they will lose every moral authority to parade themselves as NFF officials until they clear themselves of all corrupt charges.

Harrison Jalla is President of National Association of Nigeria Footballers.

(CAVEAT: This piece does not represent the views of this paper)