The House of Representatives on Thursday faulted President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to suspend the country’s national team, the Super Eagles, from all international engagements in the next two years.



The House asked the President to rescind the decision.



In a resolution, the Lawmakers noted that withdrawing the national team from international engagements would not only worsen the apparent crisis facing football in Nigeria , but could also earn the country the “wrath of FIFA.”



A lawmaker from Benue State, Mr. Emmanuel Jime, who sponsored a motion on the issue, had argued that the decision to “disband” the Nigeria Football Federation and withdraw the Super Eagles from international engagements would be counterproductive no matter how well-intentioned.



He said, “If this decision is not rescinded, our football will be in disarray and we are about to jeopardise the future of a whole generation of Nigerian youths.”



He also observed that Jonathan’s action would be interpreted by FIFA as a case of the Federal Government interfering with sports administration in the country, “which can earn us an immediate ban by FIFA.”



He agreed that the Super Eagles performed poorly at the ongoing 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but the team was not the worst.



Jime cited Italy, the defending champions, and France, among other strong teams that had crashed out of the championship.



He said, “What we should do is to investigate our poor performance to determine whether corruption or inadequate preparations were responsible.



“Let us avoid a situation whereby we will incur the wrath of FIFA and render our youths, who rely on football as a means of livelihood, jobless.”



But, the Minority Leader, Alhaji Mohammed Ndume, supported the President’s decision, describing it as “the most important decision taken in the country by Jonathan.”



Ndume claimed that football was not “the priority of Nigeria” at the moment.



According to him, Nigerians are more interested in going to school and seeing their government fixing social infrastructure than spending huge funds on football.



However, the Chief Whip of the House, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, backed Jime’s motion. He said that football was a “unify factor in Nigeria.”



Rather than suspend the country from international engagements, Ihedioha suggested that the government should organise a comprehensive sports development programme for the youths.



The Minority Whip of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, also supported the motion. He said that the President took a hasty decision without considering the fact that “football is like the life of Nigeria.”



“This is like killing an ant with a sledge harmer; or suspending your child from school for two years because he has failed an examination.



“We appeal to Mr. President to please leave football alone,” Gbajabiamila said.



Another member, Mr. Emma Diya, warned that the police might have to contend with more cases of armed robbery and other forms of violent crime if Nigeria was shut from football events.



“Whenever the Super Eagles are playing, there are no cases of armed robbery because everybody is watching the game”, Diya added.



The House later passed the motion in a majority voice vote and mandated the Committee on Sports to probe the “abysmal performance” of the team at South Africa 2010.



Meanwhile, fears that Nigeria may attract sanctions from the Federation of International Football Associations, heightened on Thursday with the government’s declaration that the country’s sovereignty was more important than the world soccer ruling body’s laws.



Minister of Sports, Alhaji Ibrahim Bio, who spoke to journalists in the State House, made the declaration while defending the Federal Government’s decision.



He said, “Government is trying to liaise with FIFA in order to get these things done without necessarily violating FIFA rules.



“Nigeria will do everything possible to take the interest and sovereignty of Nigeria first and foremost and if that is in conformity with FIFA rules, so be it, but if it is not in conformity with FIFA rules I think the sovereignty of Nigeria and interest of the people is most paramount.”



Bio likened the problems plaguing football administration in Nigeria to cancer.



“My friend, you cannot have cancer and continue to live with it because you don’t want to spill blood, we are ready to spill blood to remove the cancer, so be it,” he added.



He said the government was guided by the provisions of the controversial Decree 101 in taking the decision.



FIFA had previously frowned at the decree, which is the basis of the government’s involvement in football administration in Nigeria.



Arguing further in defence of the decision, the minister said, “Decree 101 is where the real conflict comes from; it has been in existence and it is still within our statute books.



“Before my coming, there was an agreement between my predecessor and FIFA that Decree 101 will be amended.



“That has been with the National Assembly; as far as the Nigerian government is concerned, that decree is still within the statute books because the National Assembly has not amended it. “So it is not my fault

Corruption is a prescription for failure, and anywhere you find it, failure is surely the byproduct.

Rano walks in. . . .speechless!. . . . . .whatever!!!

dem wan accept 'am b4?. . .make dem leavam na, make FIFA ban us 2 more yrs, then all man eye go come down!

this GJ man na wah for you oooh.GJ 1 VS House of Rep 1.half time.

House of Reps? Whom are they representing??

People died during world cup because of poor performance of the super eagles and the so called reps that are representing the dead people could not even condole the family.

They have their motion and Goodluck has his presidential power.

IT IS DONE. UP GEJ!!!!

Constitutional democracy without consultation.
Why should nt they ask him to un-ban when avenues for foreign trips and estacode in the name of sports is removed!

Who are those REPS, Common Conductions fighting each day, We dont know them.
We are fighting a way to eliminate Hse of REPS in that country, They are as of no use IE Waste.

House of Fuks. The most useless place in Nigeria; the most corrupt, dirty, base, degenirate and despicable house in Nigeria. No be these same people dey back the N10B 50th anniversary celebrations, with Ndume still opposing. How these people dey fit look themselves 4 mirror conclude say they still be human beings. I no fit know. If I ever enter Hell find myself with even one of these monsters, I go protest, them don do pass I fit ever do 4 dis life.
See foolish excuses, 'wrath of FIFA', 'youth's future' and 'more armed robbery'. See dung-eaters. Let FIFA ban us more, I conclude say the two years too small cos we might still have a chance to compete in the Nations Cup then. The absence of football as the only priority of sports in Nigeria will allow other sports like basketball, boxing, teakwondo, wrestling, tennis and track events, which we have a potential to excell in, to develop. And as for the 'more robbery', it will be good for the police to shoot at something legitimately, else they might just get bored and shoot civilians.

REPS CORECT BUT EVE THOUGH D REPS DNT HAVE SHAME LET GJ LIFT D BAN ABEG.

Parnassuss:

House of Fuks. The most useless place in Nigeria; the most corrupt, dirty, base, degenirate and despicable house in Nigeria. No be these same people dey back the N10B 50th anniversary celebrations, with Ndume still opposing. How these people dey fit look themselves 4 mirror conclude say they still be human beings. I no fit know. If I ever enter Hell find myself with even one of these monsters, I go protest, them don do pass I fit ever do 4 dis life.
See foolish excuses, 'wrath of FIFA', 'youth's future' and 'more armed robbery'. See dung-eaters. Let FIFA ban us more, I conclude say the two years too small cos we might still have a chance to compete in the Nations Cup then. The absence of football as the only priority of sports in Nigeria will allow other sports like basketball, boxing, teakwondo, wrestling, tennis and track events, which we have a potential to excell in, to develop. And as for the 'more robbery', it will be good for the police to shoot at something legitimately, else they might just get bored and shoot civilians.

Reps should clean the house first,

ALL THEY ARE TRYING TO TELL JONATHAN IS THAT YOU DONT THROW AWAY THE BATHE WATER AND THE BABY. YOU DEVISE A MEANS TO THROW AWAY THE BATHE WATER WITHOUT DISCARDING THE BABY. THE SPORT MINISTER SHOULD THINK AGAIN

@Chuxy12
The NFF officials are not babies. They are monsters. I will gladly throw away the monster and the bath water.

chuxy12:

ALL THEY ARE TRYING TO TELL JONATHAN IS THAT YOU DONT THROW AWAY THE BATHE WATER AND THE BABY. YOU DEVISE A MEANS TO THROW AWAY THE BATHE WATER WITHOUT DISCARDING THE BABY. THE SPORT MINISTER SHOULD THINK AGAIN

We should learn to make sacrifices in Nigeria.

Good move frm d reps

Nigerians we agree with the House of Commotion that the President will reverse the ban, but with one condition
that the House of Commotion/Fighters will first reverse the Suspension of the 11 member progressive and allow
full scale investigation on there crisis.QED.

"Whenever the Super Eagles are playing, there are no cases of armed robbery because everybody is watching the game"

Imagine reasoning! What a dumb ass. So this is basically the reason why SE should continue playing? What happens when they are not playing?
I can't still believe a law maker said this!

Tufiakwa

The stinking out of thieves sometimes can be sensible

are they worse than someone who wants to use 16billion for independence day celebration

confetti:

"Whenever the Super Eagles are playing, there are no cases of armed robbery because everybody is watching the game"

Imagine reasoning! What a dumb backside. So this is basically the reason why SE should continue playing? What happens when they are not playing?
I can't still believe a law maker said this!

Tufiakwa

I heard it too and I was ashamed, I shook my head in bafflement cos a mad man will not make such an unreasonable point[color=#770077][/color]

Parnassuss:

House of Fuks. The most useless place in Nigeria; the most corrupt, dirty, base, degenirate and despicable house in Nigeria. No be these same people dey back the N10B 50th anniversary celebrations, with Ndume still opposing. How these people dey fit look themselves 4 mirror conclude say they still be human beings. I no fit know. If I ever enter Hell find myself with even one of these monsters, I go protest, them don do pass I fit ever do 4 dis life.
See foolish excuses, 'wrath of FIFA', 'youth's future' and 'more armed robbery'. See dung-eaters. Let FIFA ban us more, I conclude say the two years too small cos we might still have a chance to compete in the Nations Cup then. The absence of football as the only priority of sports in Nigeria will allow other sports like basketball, boxing, teakwondo, wrestling, tennis and track events, which we have a potential to excell in, to develop. And as for the 'more robbery', it will be good for the police to shoot at something legitimately, else they might just get bored and shoot civilians.

roflmao

Please Mr. President, Ban the whole house of rep, they are all thieves

abeg mr president

no vex say super vultures no play fine
forgive dem na abeg

yes, the house of rep is right. nigeria is a corrupt country and the corrupt rulers and people are supposed to be generally accepted by the country.
come to the think of it, what is the moral standard of our president to call anyone corrupt in nigeria when we all know he come into power via the worst selection(election) in the history of man.
one will expect jonathan to legalize corruption in nigeria since 99.9999% of the rulers of this country are corrupt including himself.
corruption begets corruption and there is practically nothing u can do about that.
the only reason our president can give nigerians is that he wants his own boys to be in the glass house and we will understand that.
that day he brought back ribadu and el rufai and deleted all cases and charges against them was the day i lost my respect for him and i have added him to my bad book.
pls mr. jonathan, face ur corrupt aso rock and let lulu face his corrupt glasshouse.
if u want to play saint, tell nigerians why ribadu and el rufai became saint under ur govt, tell us why ogbulafor was arrested for a case that happened in 2001, tell us that alams is no longer a criminal.

Kx:

Constitutional democracy without consultation.
Why should nt they ask him to un-ban when avenues for foreign trips and estacode in the name of sports is removed!

DON'T MIND THE FOOLS THEY ARE ONLY WORRIED THAT IT WILL AFFECT THEIR FOREIGN TRIPS IN THE NAME OF GOING TO SUPPORT THE SUPER CHICKENS.

I have a question for everyone on this page:
( Its a Yoruba adage: do we have to cut head away because of headache)
I think the F.G should find a better way of developing football in Nigeria b'cus should we leave international football for one year? I doubt if we can ever make it again.

thanks

they really deserve it. oh how i wish they could add more 2years to the barn

Mr Goodluck let us tackle to other prevalent issues first and then come back to football later. Abi you dey fear the sacred cows in Nigeria?

I wont be surprised that some of those thiefs in Congress have been benefiting from the corruption in NFF and are getting jittery

abey make una let GEJ do his work
the way he feels.
i only pray that every thing will be solved soon