NFF: The Recall Of Salisu Yusuf To Eagles

No doubt, Coach Salisu Yusuf was caught red-handed taking a $1000 dollars bribe by an undercover journalist, which eventually led to his one-year ban by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA). Salisu had, however, served out his ban which informed the Glass House for reinstating the Assistant Coach of the Super Eagles recently.

Football on its own is not corrupt but some of the administrators are. If Salisu was caught for an offense that is a national disgrace and embarrassment to the game of football, I see no reason he ( Salisu) should be brought back to such a designation again; having dragged the country, the federation, and football to disrepute!

It’s unspeakable that no sooner has he finished his one-year ban for corruption; he’s been recalled to the Eagles! What impression is the NFF trying to create? Saddening!

Nobody encourages corruption and nobody is haunting anybody; one can only be a victim of corruption where you are caught or found wanting; therefore, if FIFA frowns against corruption and has a penalty for such offense, what has been the punishment served, the culprit ( Salisu) by the NFF in this regard?

The case of sentiment, nepotism, and negative encouragement is playing out here! If you bring back Salisu to the national team, of what image are you branding Nigeria via the Eagles?

Yours truly can’t understand why those at the helm of affairs won’t call spade a spade but will turn off the other eye from the truth and reality. This is a time the country is battling with issues of corruption, people are being relieved of their appointments for one corruption case or the other; but in the NFF, the case is the reverse; except, someone is telling us that since FIFA had to ban Salisu for one year, he should continue to be Nigeria’s Ambassador as Coach of the Eagles. It means the shout against corruption is “foul is fair, fair is foul”.

If Salisu’s recall to his designation holds, it means football in Nigeria has no integrity. Yes, agreed he has served his ban but that does not warrant his automatic return to where he soiled his hands. Perhaps, he could have been with other teams, not the senior national team of Nigeria as it were.

This is a mockery of football in Nigeria. A lot of football administrators across the globe who have been found wanting in this regard have fizzled out of the game; given their consent to bribery and corrupting football at one point or the other!

What the leadership of the NFF is doing while living will tell much of their leadership when they would have left office. Posterity will speak about it here today or tomorrow.

If football can be this corrupted by a singular coach and such person is been given a rousing welcome back to where he was banned and the administrators are backing and defending his recall, it tells much of the federation’s character!

I won’t subscribe to the return of Salisu to the Eagles, for he’s not the only coach in Nigeria capable of handling that position in the national team. So if the federation insists on having Salisu on board again,  it is up to them. But justice cannot be served wrongly, otherwise, justice and patriotism become fair are foul, and foul is fair!

We must judge our conscience properly in a positive dimension and make sure that our actions and attitude can be justifiably defended before man and nature. Whatever we do today in positions of authority for whatever reason is what we will be measured with. Therefore, in what capacity we find ourselves to serve our country, patriotism and transparency should be our watchword, football is not an exemption!

Good Morning Nigeria!

*Independent