Giwa versus Pinnick: Akinwumi pleads for objective reportage

By Ayo Ademokoya

The Vice Chairman of Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi has pleaded with the Nigerian Press to be objective in their various reportage on the ongoing leadership crisis bedeviling the federation and urged them to be a true watchdog of the society.

Barrister Akinwunmi who doubles as the Lagos State Football Association boss who was a guest of Oyo state Sports Writers Association hot seat at the weekend held at the Obafemi Awolowo stadium Ibadan also vowed to resigned his appointment as the vice chairman of the Federation if  Giwa could prove his case as he spoke extensively on other  issues  of hiring the new coach for the Super Eagles, grassroots sports development and women football ,age cheats  sponsorship and marketing of football in the country  as he affirms that the Federation needs more hands in the Technical Department to assist in the enormous task of discovering talents and move Nigeria’s national teams forward at the session.

On Giwa  Barister said “ I have said I will not comment on Giwa issue but for crying out loud, I have been a practicing lawyer for about 30years now and I have never seen anything as bizarre as what Chris Giwa is doing. I know the proceeding of getting an injunction against somebody and it baffles me whether only the city of Jos where Giwa got his injunction from is the only court in Nigeria.

“What pains me most was the way and manner some journalists report the imbroglio  and I want to plead with them to be more objective. Some of them were at the so called Giwa’s election and they handed to me the tape of Giwa’s convention testifying what happened there was a sham . Most of these journalists were at our convention and they recorded and registered each and every State Football Association Chairman and their secretary one after the other to ascertain the authenticity of  our convention but I’m shocked that none of these guys has come out boldly to clarify that what Giwa is doing is wrong. I just want to plead with the gentlemen of the press who are the watchdog of the society to please be more objective with information dissemination especially concerning this Giwa issue as I am ready to relinquish my position as the vice chairman of the Federation if Giwa could prove his case “

On the issue of hiring the coach for the Super Eagle, Barrister Akinwunmi denied the rumour that Former Paris Saint Germain ,French national team defender and coach of Oman, Cameroon  Paul le Guen has been hired to tutor the Nigerian Super Eagles and reiterated that funding is a major determining factor in choosing whether the Super Eagles coach is would be a foreigner or not

“You see many people often tell us to go and meet the corporate bodies to sponsor this or that forgetting that this is herculean considering the present situation of the country. Nigerians are always very divided about the choice of who to coach the Super Eagles whether foreign or local and I'm sure the federation at the appropriate time would announce who should tutor us to the Russia 2018 world cup. But I must confess to you that Salisu Yusuf is a very good coach and Im sure he would be part of  other technical crew in one capacity of the other.

On grassroots football development, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi said it is the best the nation can get to the promised land on time and that why the federation is not taking age group completion with levity.

We recently concluded national under 13 competition held in Ondo state recently while Under 15 football completion was held in Ogun state as a way of discovering talent for our age group national team.

I was shocked when I saw more than 5,000 players coming out for the under17 national team screening in Abuja recently .

Some of them are apparently over aged and we resolve that schools sports where we can determine the authenticity of every child identity to a large extent is the solution to age cheat in our football.

The Lagos FA boss did not forget to mention the women football in the country as he and admitted that its true the federation is not doing enough in that are but gradually the federation will get there.

“ You see I am an ardent fan of female football and there  president of Female football at the NFF would attest to it that how I usually trouble her about the development of the game in the country.

Unfortunately there are many issue confronting female football in the country and funding too is a major factor but I strongly believe that is the success from the male football that will fund their female counterpart. Other factors militating against the growth of the game in the country are various vices such as lesbianism and coaches taking advantage of this girls. Female football is a little bit complicated but I must tell you we will get there.