Stakeholders in sports have risen against the recent invitation of former Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh and the Nigeria Football Federation by the House of Representatives Sports Committee on Thursday to ascertain why the former skipper of the Eagles quit his post.

Oliseh The Stakeholders called for caution to avoid turning back the hands of the clock while many said that it was an unnecessary distraction that could derail the country’s campaign for a ticket to the 2017 Nations Cup in Gabon and plunder soccer fans into another period of agony and gnashing of teeth. Former Secretary General of the NFA, Sani Ahmed Toro who at one point was a member of the House of Representatives said that there was no arguing the fact that the House of Reps have the right to know and summon any Nigerian but appealed that the timing was wrong.

”Indeed, they have the oversight functions to summon anyone to know what transpired, but I think the time is wrong. I’ll appeal they defer it till after the qualifiers”, Toro appealed.

He, however, wondered what the Committee would do with a man who willingly resigned his appointment. But President of Africa Sports Journalists, ASJU, Mitchel Obi laughed over the invitation yesterday and described it ”as another joke”.

”What is the whole idea?”, Obi asked and laughed again. ”Don’t they have job to do? Why are these people making progress in reverse? The statutes of football has not been resolved by them and they are trying to elevate non issue.

Why didn’t the House Committee invite Oliseh and NFF during his employment? That was even more controversial than his resignation. They breached everything when he was employed and Nigerians gave him all the backing and the House Committee kept mute. This invitation is uncalled for.

It is a redundant invitation. Did they invite Keshi who won many matches and the Nations Cup when he was the coach? Keshi coached this country even with the wife’s ill-health. Yet, he won matches and was not paid.

The House Committee on Sports should be talking about infrastructure and the Olympics. They should talk about our preparation and welfare of athletes and how to win medals in Rio. Let us not go to Rio and come back empty handed like we did at the London 2012 Olympics.

We don’t need this distraction”, Obi said. CAF General Co-ordinator and instructor, Paul Bassey who agreed that the House Committee on Sports have the oversight functions called for caution as he also agreed that the time was not good for the invitation. ”We’ve to be careful. The NFF has the powers to hire and fire. I think they should rely on NFF on whatever they want to know. A situation where they invite a staff to rub shoulders with his boss will not augur well for Nigerian football. I’m afraid that this invitation could lead to distraction”, Bassey, a veteran Sports Journalist and a member of the NFF Technical and Development Committee, said..

Also, former Gombe FA Chairman and chairman of Gombe United, Alhaji Shuaibu Ahmed Gara Gombe lashed out at the House Committee saying that they ”are going the wrong way. They want to set a bad precedent and that is hypocritical. Those who employed him sacked him. Why dissipate energy on a non issue? Is Oliseh the only employee of NFF who resigned? Didn’t they sack Keshi? We’re in an Olympic year and they have more than enough questions and invitations to ensure that Nigeria wins a medal in Rio. This one on Oliseh is unnecessary, diversionary and counter-productive”, Gombe said.

Credit : Vanguard