Nigeria football crisis: You are a “fool, grossly incompetent and naïve,”- Green tells Musa Amadu

The crisis rocking Nigerian football administration worsened during the week when a board member described another as a "fool, grossly incompetent and naïve." The chairman of the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Chris Green, in a text message sent to the General Secretary of the federation, Musa Amadu, used apparently foul language to condemn the latter.  Continue after the cut... 

 

 

A copy of the message, seen by our correspondent shows Mr. Green complaining about how Mr. Amadu is handling one of the issues rocking the football administration. The genesis Earlier in May during the Federation Cup qualifiers, Rivers State referees boycotted some of the matches that took place in Rivers because of their grouse with the state football authority. Following the decision of the referees, the state appointed coaches and other persons to officiate the matches. This did not go down well with the NFF who suspended Rivers representatives from participating in the Federation Cup. The NFF, however, reversed its decision. Sources in the NFF said the decision was reversed at the instance of Mr. Green. A source told our correspondent that the NFF sent a letter of subtle threat to the Rivers State referees association. The federation threatened to sanction the Rives referees if they did not rescind their decision not to officiate the Federation Cup matches. The referees declined. While some board members of the NFF led by Mr. Green wanted the federation to follow up its letter by sanctioning the Rivers referees, Mr. Amadu, who sent the letter, felt a peace meeting was necessary, particularly to ensure adherence to due process, a source said. Mr. Amadu invited the Rivers State referees association chairman to the NFF secretariat in Abuja for a roundtable talk, a move that angered Mr. Green and led to the text message. Mr. Amadu subsequently forwarded the text message to all the NFF board members. The message "Musa, ur a fool, grossly incompetent and naive. It is the height of mediocrity and mischief that you will play politics with this matter by involving Gov. Amaechi to ur imagined divn of Riv ref council.Uv the temerity to say that I have a problem and putting it to others to solve. The caper I have with u is that ur memory failed to know that u had written a letter of reprimand and a threat of sanction against their behavior yet ur going against set norms and practices by pleading with the chair of R/S ref council to make apptms' shame.! ive been told all uv said and done against me. Wait for what uv said and dragging of Gov Amaechi into this." When our correspondent contacted Mr. Green on the authenticity and reason for such text message, he expressed anger at the reporter. "You people should look for better things to write, call the General Secretary and ask him. I think you don't know the kind of person that I am, I don't comment on trivial matters," he said. Mr. Amadu would also not respond to the controversy surrounding the sms. "How can you call me for such sms? What kind of story do you people write in this country? I will not confirm anything to you; I detest this kind of question. While both top administrators of Nigerian football squabble over appropriateness of their actions, the problems between Rivers State referees and the state football administration lingers. Meanwhile, Rivers State two representatives at the Federation Cup, Dolphins FC and Sharks FC, have been knocked out of the competition.