- Kwande dismisses charges against the leadership of the federation by SPIP
Against a backdrop of allegations of financial misdemeanor leveled against the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the man who described himself as the “Chief Legal Officer” of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and filed the case has been denied as not authorized to do so.
Online newspaper, TheCable, reported last night that Celsus Ukpong who filed the suit no. FHC/ABJ/CR/93/2019 on Tuesday on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation, charging five NFF officials before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court with over 17 allegations bordering on corruption, one of which was “failing to declare assets before the Special Presidential Investigative Panel and Recovery (SPIP)” did not have the mandate of the anti-graft agency to do so.
TheCable contacted ICPC on Wednesday to confirm if Ukpong was acting on behalf of the anti-graft agency but Rasheedat Okoduwa, the spokesperson, flatly denied it.
“Mr. Ukpong is not prosecuting NFF on behalf of ICPC. The commission has withdrawn him from the Special Presidential Investigation Panel (SPIP). The secretary to the government of the federation in a letter dated 14 February 2019 directed the chairman of SPIP to release him immediately,” she told TheCable. Okoi Obono-Obla is the chairman of the SPIP.
On Tuesday, SPIP, acting on behalf of the federal government, alleged that NFF official misappropriated $8.4 million belonging to the federation. The money was said to have been paid by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to the NFF as appearance fees for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The accused persons are Amaju Pinnick (NFF president), Seyi Akinwunmi, 1st vice president, Shehu Dikko, 2nd vice president, Mohammed Sanusi, general secretary and Ahmed Yusuf Fresh, NFF executive member.
The defendants were also accused of “moving the cash” belonging to the NFF without the consent of the federation. They have all denied the allegations.
Earlier, a statement from the Glass House in Abuja signed by Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee of the NFF, Hon. Suleiman Yahaya Kwande, had described the charges filed against its leadership as not emanate from the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“The orchestrated media blitz about the existence of such charges is nothing but the desperate and malicious efforts of the Chief Okoi Obono-Obla led Special Presidential Investigative Panel (SPIP) to lend itself as an instrument of cheap blackmail in the fight for the political leadership of NFF.
“Currently pending before the Federal High Court, Abuja is Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/17/2019 filed by NFF against SPIP and 3 others, including Chief Obono-Obla himself. NFF in the suit is challenging the competence of SPIP under the law to purport to investigate or prosecute NFF or its leadership,” observed the NFF statement.
It clarified that when the matter came up for hearing on April 20, 2019, Barrister Celsus Ukpong, the lawyer representing SPIP wrote a letter applying for an adjournment of the matter, as he could not appear in court for official reasons. The suit was accordingly adjourned to May 13, 2019 for definite hearing.
“It is an issue that must befuddle the mind and be of great concern to all Nigerians that the same SPIP should, against the foregoing background then proceed to allegedly file charges in the name of the FGN before the same Federal High Court while the pending suit filed by NFF against it is yet to be determined.
