NFF President, Amaju Pinnick Reacts To Reports Of His Travel Ban And Prosecution By President Buhari

NFF President, Amaju Pinnick Reacts To Reports Of His Travel Ban And Prosecution By President Buhari

President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick has
denied media reports that a travel ban has been imposed on him and also
that President Buhari directed that he should be prosecuted.  

Pinnick took to Twitter to deny the reports saying, ‘good
afternoon Nigeria. My attention has just been drawn to a publication by
an online media organisation about a travel ban placed on me and an
intending prosecution. Ironically, it comes on the heels of my trip to
Accra, Ghana yesterday for a meeting between the Nigeria Football
Federation and CAF partners, AITEO.”

“I also have official engagements coming up in Senegal. In other
words; no such ban is in place and no security agency has gotten in
touch. The @thenff recently published its audited accounts in ThisDay
Newspapers & Daily Trust on Thursday the 20th of December, 2018 and
on Tuesday the 25th of December, 2018 in The Vanguard Newspapers.  

In effect, our finances are open for anyone to see. All incomes from
the Federal Government, FIFA & CAF, since 2014 are reflected. Before
my appointment into the FIFA committees, I had to pass through intense
integrity and eligibility tests.  

I was not found wanting. Two years ago, FIFA handed the NFF a clean
bill of health in our financial management. Our accounts are audited by
PwC, the same firm that audits FIFA.  “So it is quite laughable whenever
these stories come out. And they come out, without fail, regularly, and
from the same sources.

Well, I’ll be talking to my lawyers to see what legal redress I can
get, but it would be nice if our media houses investigated these things
before publishing. I might not know every journalist in Nigeria, but I
do know a few in just about every media house in the country. When these
unfounded stories hit, it’s our football that suffers.

Sponsors and perspective sponsors become wary of and about doing
business with us. Surely we can be responsible about our reports?  I’m
hoping the more responsible media outlets will disregard these reports
while assuring our partners and prospective partners that we are serious
about taking our football upwards. Thank you very much and a very Happy
New Year to you, Nigerians.”