… Praises Gusau Led Board
The Integrity Officer of the Nigeria Football Federation, Barrister Okey Obi, has endorsed the activities of sports crusaders known as Integrity Group.
Barrister Obi who received the group in his office at the headquarters of the NFF, on Tuesday, 17th September, 2024, urged the Integrity Group to continue its crusade to ensure ethics and transparency are upheld within Nigeria sports sector.
He noted that it is in the overall best interest of everyone that sports; especially football is safeguarded from corrupt tendencies.
“People will resist change whether you like it or not. People are comfortable doing things the way they’re used to. It got to a point that corruption and fraud became synonymous to sports and football. That was why the leadership of the football global body was shaking. It wasn’t that the leaders are corrupt, what happened was that they didn’t take action when issues of corruption happened.
“One dubious person will spoil everybody. Take for instance what happened in Ghana, until the Journalist Anas took up the fight himself,” he noted.
“I always tell stakeholders that it is our overall best interest that the beautiful game of football is safeguarded so that the sport doesn’t die while we are at the helms. I’m happy the message has been well received. Before I became the Integrity Officer, I know the situation.
The first man was Dr. Emeruwa my predecessor who did a lot of work and was ready to pull down anything to ensure things were right. By the time I took over from him, there were a few instances and we didn’t hesitate to do the right thing. We’ve prosecuted people to the point of getting them a global ban.
“The battle of Integrity to keep football clean is a marathon. It is important that all hands are on deck and we don’t drop the ball. Please I’ll encourage you (Integrity Group) to keep at what you’re doing.
To do the right thing is not very popular but at the end of the day, it pays. You might think nobody is taking note of how you do your work, but people are watching,” he said.
Barrister Obi also heaped praises on the leadership of the NFF led by Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, for the strong stance they maintain on anti-corruption issues.
“This present leadership of the NFF takes issues of Integrity and transparency very serious. That’s why if you go today and check the website of the ICPC and check the index of government agencies, you’ll find out that the position of the NFF is on ascendancy. This goes to show that these guys in charge of NFF at this point are checking the right boxes and doing the right thing.
So, with that it makes the work a lot easier. There are policies and decisions they have taken that make the work of the national Integrity Officer easier for me,” Obi concluded.
On its part, the Integrity Group coordinator, Comrade Abiola Shodiya, assured that the group will continue to remain focused on its dream to contribute to nation building by ensuring it creates awareness on issues of transparency, ethics and corruption where they are flouted and give kudos where it is earned.
Signed:
Godwin Dele
Secretary
