Former president of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Alhaji Sani Lulu, who was removed in controversial circumstances after the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa in what was tagged a civilian coup masterminded by Alhaji Aminu Maigari told New Telegraph on Sunday in an exclusive interview that the impeached NFF president is getting God’s punishment for the action taken against him four years ago.
Lulu stated that, some Nigerians have been saying that, Maigari’s removal was the same scenario with my ouster from office in 2010.
“It wasn’t the same; Aminu was removed on allegation of corruption and financial misappropriation and other corruption charges, while I was removed for doing nothing. Some people just wanted me out. Most of the people who planned my removal have already been punished by God.
“I didn’t steal money, instead I left N2.6billion in the NFF account, but Maigari and his board came afterwards to say they met an empty treasury. It was shocking that the federal government did not set up an investigative panel to check this out. “I didn’t spend money to get to that position, so there was no reason for me to loot government money, God is my witness.
I didn’t steal any money and those who removed me knew it. Instead I was the one who spent my money on the Nigeria Football Federation.
In 2007 and 2008, I spent N40million from my personal account for Nigeria to win the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Korea 2007 and compete at the 2008 Nations Cup and I have not been refunded up till today.
That time, government said they don’t have money and we should go out to source for funds to execute the World Cup, so I paid for all the camping both home and abroad and all the allowances paid to the team. Please go and check records.
Government said they were only keen on spending money on the Super Eagles and I said no, Nigeria must participate in the 2007 U-17 World Cup, as I was in the NFF to develop all the seven national soccer teams equally.
“Even at the Nations Cup in Ghana, Nigerians abandoned the Super Eagles in the hands of Sani Lulu after we lost to the Black Stars and played a draw against Cote d’Ivoire. They thought we won’t qualify for the quarter-finals, but God did it and we scaled through.
Check records, government did not give us money for the quarter finals, I had to rush back home to Nigeria to withdraw N30 million from my personal account to take care of the funds needed for the remaining part of the Nations Cup. What then did I do wrong to be removed illegally; I know God will fight this matter.
Because I know that anybody who loves his country must not fight the system that was why I resorted to taking my case to CAS but I withdrew it eventually.” He said he is happy that that plotted his removal are being accused of stealing and have been impeached and expelled from the NFF board.
“As far as I am concerned the government is fully involved in the entire issue so also the Nigerian people especially when it has to do with corruption charges.
“I am in support of the fight against corruption and if we collectively fight this scourge in our society, Nigeria will be better for it. What is happening to Aminu Maigari is a punishment from God. When I said I left N2.6 billion in the NFF account, they ran back to the media to say they didn’t see any money.
It is shocking Nigerians didn’t take up the matter to find out if Sani Lulu was telling the truth. Our God does not sleep. You don’t destroy people just because you want to make your name. Maigari thought he has destroyed me but he never knew it was the country that he destroyed.”
He added that: “For Maigari, there was an allegation of corruption, but I was not removed because of corruption. You should ask the people who removed me if I was corrupt while in office or not. My own was a different setting, it was a coup. And even after my removal I kept shouting on top of my voice that I was not corrupt.
“Only God will judge, I am still waiting for what He will do. I am innocent and still waiting for the final clearance from the court, as the matter is still in court and I don’t know why Nigerian football administrators are like this.
The case in court at the moment bothers on the team bus I bought for the Super Eagles, as they said it was refurbished and not a brand new as budgeted for, but six years after the purchase, the Eagles are still using the same bus. If it was not brand new would it have been durable as it is?
The former NFF president stressed that the other issue was on the Eagles’ hotel in South Africa which I was alleged to have misappropriated million of dollars to book for the team ahead of the 2010 World Cup.
This was very strange, because we did not pay anything for the hotel as it was given free of charge by FIFA to Nigeria and also to all participating countries. “I am happy government is already aware of this my issue and they are working on it.
Honestly, if you ask me I don’t know what is wrong with the Glass House in Abuja, maybe you journalists can tell us. “Maigari was the Chairman Finance Committee of my board, yet he accused me wrongly.
I have been talking on this matter in the last four years, I made paid ad-verts and some other means to tell Nigerians that I am innocent of all charges; I don’t want to say more at this point, Nigerians should judge by themselves. “All I can say now is that, ‘there is God ooo, there is God ooo.’
God will touch the hearts of our leaders to address the injustice that was meted out to me. That was the title of the letter I sent to Mr President. I know the government is on the right track and they will address my issue accordingly.
I was so consistent telling who care to listen that I am innocent, Nigerians should have read in-between the lines, but nobody came out to say that there was a point this man was making.
This man couldn’t just be crying like this if he is not innocent. I begged for a probe panel to be set up by the federal government to look into the entire issue but those who wanted me out were bent on getting rid of me.
“The NFF vacated the impeachment charges against me when the case was in court, but I have not been told why they did that.
Even you the journalists should ask the question why they vacated the impeachment charges, while the case was in court because they knew I was going to win my case in the Court of Arbitration (CAS).
We have 170million Nigerians but it is only Sani Lulu that has been crying out that, the NFF’s plot was illegal. I didn’t do anything.
I am not there again, if there are any corruption charges against me, they should bring them to the public. Lulu said he gave his life to Nigeria when he served as NFF president, but Nigerians dumped him when he needed their supports.
‘But I know God will touch the minds of everybody to see the truth. I am still waiting for what God would do, He will do a lot.
I am sure. It was God that put me there in the first place as I was a nobody in Nigeria before I became NFF president; it was the same God that said I should take a rest in 2010.
‘They told me to resign and I said for what, I can’t resign until they tell me what I did, but nobody said anything until they planned the coup against me.
I am happy somebody kept reminding me that, what goes around comes around. I have no other country but Nigeria, I love my country dearly.
I was born a Nigerian and I will die a Nigerian, so I must continuously look for ways to better my country that is my dream. And I have always said it that I will use the game of football to better the lot of Nigeria.
That was my vision when I was the president of the NFF I don’t know if they have changed that now.’
He said if the court says he should return to his office as NFF president after judgment is given, he would gladly go back as he was illegally and forcefully removed in the first place. He said he is ready to accept anything God provides for him.
“My prayer is that God touch the minds of our leaders to do justice to my matter.
For four years the judge has not given a ruling, and I believe that any time he is going to do so, it is God that would direct him. I will be vindicated, ”Sani Lulu said. New Telegraph
