Exclusive: Corruption index: ICPC rates NFF high in promoting integrity, transparency, accountability – Obi

"If you go to the ICPC website and check the index of government agencies, check the position of the NFF; there is a trajectory, and it is on the ascendancy. It shows that these guys in charge of NFF at this point are ticking the right boxes"

Samuel AkpanSeptember 18, 2024811

The Ibrahim Gusau-led Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) rating on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission’s (ICPC) corruption index of federal government agencies shows a positive trajectory, a renowned lawyer, Mr. Okey Obi, has said.

Obi, who is the Head of the Legal Department at the NFF, Abuja, noted that the anti-graft agency scored the football authority high on its website in terms of promoting integrity, transparency, and accountability.

Obi said in an exclusive interview with Persecondnews on Wednesday in Abuja that corruption, lack of integrity, and accountability that have dogged Nigeria’s football industry, particularly in recent years, are on the decline.

“Under the leadership of Ibrahim Gusau, the NFF has made significant strides in promoting integrity and transparency.

“The current administration takes matters of integrity seriously, and the corruption index on the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) website shows a positive trajectory for the NFF.

“I tell stakeholders that it is in our overall best interest to safeguard the beautiful game of football from corruption so that the game we all profess to love does not die while we are at the helm of affairs,” he told Persecondnews.

Recall that financial discrepancies, misappropriation, and other scandals had been the order of the day at the NFF, with stakeholders and even members of the NFF writing several petitions to FIFA while ex-players called for government intervention despite FIFA’s regulations prohibiting government interference in football administration.

According to Oke, the sanity in the football house indicates that the organization is moving in the right direction.

Persecondnews recalls that the NFF’s commitment to anti-corruption efforts is evident in its support for sanctions against individuals involved in match manipulation and unethical behaviour.

A recent example is the global ban imposed on a Nigerian coach found guilty of such practices.

Here is the full interview:

PSN: What is your biggest fear and challenge in the quest to restore integrity to Nigerian football?

Obi: Anybody who is close to me knows that I have no fear whatsoever. The worst that can happen is death, and if I die today, I have not died young or early.

My father died when I was a few months old, and if I am to be in my 50s, I have done well, and that is my attitude toward fear. That is why I speak truth to power.

Change is constant, but at the same time, the biggest challenge to change is resistance. The good thing is that from the global body to the continental and national body (NFF), everybody has keyed into the integrity initiative.

It’s not business as usual; you can’t do what you used to. The change we bring comes with consequences, and they often fail to understand that being caught in the act truncates your career.

You remember a coach that had a global ban, and if he finds himself in a compromising position in future he will not try it again.

People that are neck deep in match manipulation and unethical behaviours in football, by the time they get sanctioned and fined, they will become unemployable because nobody wants to associate with you again.

PSN: How transparent is the Gusau-led administration?

Obi: “We have received tremendous support from the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF); anybody who knows me knows I am not one who does praise singing. I have been around football since 11998, and this present leadership takes matters of integrity and transparency seriously.

If you go to the ICPC website and check the index of agencies of government and check the position of NFF, there is a trajectory and it is on the ascendancy. It shows that these guys in charge of NFF at this point are ticking the right boxes.

The policies and decisions that the leadership has undertaken that have made the job easier.

Integrity is key, as one dubious person can bring down the entire Federation. You recall what happened in Ghana, where corruption within the referee association brought down the whole Federation after a journalist investigated them and found them wanting.

All it takes is one incident, and it brings down everybody, and nobody would be spared. In the case of Ghana, for instance, everybody was swept away for the sins of just one or two persons.

So I do tell stakeholders that it is in our overall best interest that the beautiful game of football is safeguarded from corruption so that the game we all profess to love does not die while we are at the helm of affairs.

I am happy that the message is well received. A coach recently was sanctioned, and our action resulted in a global ban for the Nigerian coach. I know you have heard of a few prominent coaches that have suffered sanctioned also.

So nobody is spared in the battle to keep our football free from corrupt individuals, and therefore all hands must be on deck.

With the NFF’s renewed focus on integrity and transparency, fans and stakeholders can look forward to a brighter future for Nigerian football.