By Samuel Bamisebi
Gara Gombe, a former member of the Nigerian Football Association, has stated in very clear terms that he won’t be supporting NFF President, Amaju Melvin Pinnick as he goes for a position in FIFA and why.
Gara expressed his displeasure about how the NFF President didn’t keep to his words on all the discussion they had initially before his election into the presidency seat when he supported him back then. “When he was contesting for the presidency, I saw it as a tenure that can help Nigerian Football. We had meetings with other stakeholders and when he got into office, he abandoned everything and started doing something else while listening to other people,” Mr. Gara said.
The NFA Reform member made it clear that desperation, corruption, and lack of accountability have been the major bone of the NFF president’s tenure even when he got into a position in the Confederation of African Football body (CAF). “When he was running for a position in the CAF Executive Committee, I was initially against him and so was the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, but Ifeanyi Ubah stood for him. We met in a CAF meeting and he spoke to me that we shouldn’t be fighting. I promised to support him but he became desperate, ambitious and he was kicked out,” he added.
Gara Gombe was seen to have resigned from the NFA reform committee which he says was due to the fact that he noticed it wasn’t a genuine or serious exercise as those who created the problems were in charge and soon after, the committee report was thrown out which justified his reason to resign.
Mr. Gara also explained that Mr. Pinnick begged him to reconcile with the influence of Barrister Green which he said he did but Pinnick failed once again to implement the agreements they had in my House in Abuja.
He was said to have been given money by some reports when he supported the NFF President for the CAF presidency position. “Amaju will never give you money and keep quiet,” he said. I was only doing it based on the Nigerian sentiment. He claimed he was invited to work against Mr. Pinnick’s in the CAF presidency preparations but he refused and said he won’t do that to his countryman.
Gara Gombe claimed that Aisha Falode was illegally appointed as chairperson of the women league in Nigeria by Amaju Pinnick and he was taken to court by Aisha. “I am not afraid of facing Aisha and the entire NFF in court but for Amaju to come and ask for my or our support is a mirage. Dr. Sanusi is just wasting his time as Amaju can not be trusted,” he added.
“Amaju is going to FIFA? ok, good let us see. But to ask for my support? NEVER. He must purge himself with his deceitful manner and lack of being a man of his words. He lies a lot and does not keep confidential matters away from the public,” Gara concluded.
