It's few weeks to the commencement of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, a stakeholder and business mogul, Alhaji Aminu Kurfi, a.k.a Balele has described moves by the presidency to constitute a Presidential Task Force (PTF) to assist the Nigeria Football Federationplan Super Eagles’ participation in the World Cup as a wasteful venture and counterproductive. Balele, a former personal assistant to the former chairman of the NFA, Col. Abdul Mumini said that there was absolutely no need for such ad hoc committee saying it will be amount to a misplaced of priority and confusion.He said the Aminu Maigari-led board of the NFF has achieved 90 per cent of what it requires for Nigeria’s participation in Brazil’s and are capable of preparing them to perform well in the tournament.“I don’t think we need any presidential task force or intervention because people fail to understand how football federations, FIFA and CAF operate,” he declared. SEE MORE AFTER CUT>>>>>>
He insisted that there was no reason for such presidential intervention, noting that late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had a good reason for setting up PTF for the 2010 World Cup held in south africa. “There was a good reason for setting up the task force for the 2010 World Cup because at a time, it looked like Nigeria was not going to qualify for the World Cup.
“But now, we have already qualified and largely achieved 90 per cent of the work that needed to be done. What I mean by 90 per cent of the work is that we have qualified, set out our programmes for the World Cup and also succeeded in coming out with the list of the players that will be going to the World Cup. So, the idea of a task force now is counterproductive.
“Are they going to work under the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) or it is NFF that will work under them? These are questions people would like to know. We stakeholders, football lovers and people who know the rules of the game are against the planned Presidential Task Force by the president. We don’t need any political interference in football,” he warned.
Balele however suggested to the government to lure corporate organisations to support Super Eagles participation at the World Cup.
“What NFF needs is corporate partnership. Government should implore multi-national organisations in the country to support Nigeria’s participation in the world cup and not set up a task force that would end up creating problems for the NFF.”
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