Excellence in leadership award for NFF Secretary by NANCES a mockery of merit

By

Olukayode Thomas

Nigeria youth sunk to a new low on Wednesday when the National Association of Colleges of Education Students (NANCES) honoured the General Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation, Mohammed Sanusi, the man whose maladministration and mismanagement is killing our football, with the National Outstanding Leadership award, describing him as “an icon of peace and national development.”

According to a press release by NFF, Sanusi whose time as NFF Secretary General witnessed a harvest of scandals instead of a harvest of honours, was decorated at a simple ceremony in his office within the NFF Secretariat.

 The student leaders, who are probably motivated by stomach infrastructure and most likely slots to be part of Nigeria delegation to the Afcon 2023 slated for  January and February 2024 in Cote d’ Ivorie, said they were honouring the chief operating officer of Nigeria’s supreme football-governing body with the award as a result of his “unequal commitment, youth/students’ mentorship, diplomatic leadership excellence, human capital development, peace promotion and commitment to national unity both in Nigeria and beyond.”

Under Sanusi the Super Eagles are now called Super Chicken, where our junior teams failed to make an impact in any global competition, where our U-23 failed to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games, and other countless failures, the youth credit Sanusi with phantom achievements like the Flamingos winning bronze at the 2022 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in India, the Super Falcons’ impressive outing at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia & New Zealand, the Super Eagles qualification for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and the Flying Eagles’ giant-killing exploits at this year’s FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Argentina.

Responding, Sanusi, who ought to do the honourable and tell the students that they are dressing him in a borrowed robe, tells the students the truth that he has been a failure and gladly accepts the honour he didn’t deserve.

He thanked the student leaders for the honour, saying that he remains proud of his College of Education background, and there and then dedicated the award to the NFF President, the NFF Executive Committee, NFF Management and NFF Staff. He disclosed that as the sitting president of the Nigeria Colleges of Education Games (NICEGA), he has decided to step down and hand over to a new president once the next Games are successfully concluded.

The student leaders promptly announced his appointment as Chairman of the Sports Committee of the National Colleges of Education.

Curiously, the NFF press release was silent on the identity of the dishonourable leaders of NANCES who choose to dishonour themselves and other youth by honouring a man who deserves no honour but sack.