The Aminu Maigari-led Board of the Nigeria Football Association, NFA got its worst scathing assessment since its controversial election last August from one of its own and former Chairman, retired Group Captain John Obakpolor at the weekend.

Nigerians have not hidden their disdain for the NFA which has continued to fumble from one activity to another with the latest being the botched invitational tournament in the United States tagged Obama Cup for which the NFA is claiming to have spent about N60 million to prepare for.

Speaking on a Brila FM radio programme monitored in Lagos at the weekend, Group Captain Obakpolor in reaction to a question to suggest ideas on how the NFA could get things done rightly, said he would not offer any idea because his ideas would be polluted by the set of administrators manning the football association at the moment.

He was vehement in his reply when the question was put to him, as he described the present crop of administrator as “charlatans” who may not make any sense out of any suggestion he may offer them to get things right.

“Our football is now run by charlatans and I don’t want my ideas to be polluted so I cannot offer them any advise,” a disenchanted Obakpolor retorted.

Also speaking on the same programme, former Green Eagles winger and football critic, Adokie Amiesimaka said it was absurd for the government to appropriate money to an organisation which was not recognised by law.

Stressing that the recognised football governing body in Nigeria remains the Nigeria Football Association, NFA, the former Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, said it was wrong for money to be approved and given to an illegal body by the name Nigeria Football Federation.

Meanwhile, chairman of the NFA Appeals Committee for the troubled election into the National and Women’s League Boards, John Ola Mafo, has described the process of the election that brought in the Maigari-led Board as faulty and should be corrected in the future.

Stressing that the confusion surrounding the election of the National League and Women’s League Boards could have been avoided if elections into the NFA Board had been done after both, he said the panel had to take the decision it took to correct the anomaly in the elections.

His position vindicates former Green Eagles captain, Chief Segun Odegbami who has been at daggers drawn with the football authorities over the election process, which he said should start from the local government level through the states to the national level to get authentic stakeholders to run football affairs in the country.

Vanguard.