By Akinwale Kasali
Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, President, Amaju Pinnick, has lashed the immediate past Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Barrister Solomon Dalung, describing him as an unserious person that shouldn’t be taken serious by anyone.
Pinnick criticized the Plateau born former Minister for witchhunting and raising dust over the alleged N1 Billion diversion of funds released by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to his successor, Sunday Dare, for the National Female Basketball Team, and the failure to pay the D’Tigress since 2019.
Dalung had demanded the whereabouts of the money, pointing accusing finger at Dare to give explanation.
In an interview on the Morning Show with ARISE TV programme , Pinnick said it is unethical and morally wrong for the former Minister to continue to cast aspersions on his successor who he said has brought stability to Nigerian sports, particularly football.
When asked to comment on the allegation made by Dalung against his successor, Pinnick said, “I think that is very pathetic.
“You do not de-market or disparage a system or Government that gave you extraordinary opportunity to be a Minister. You enable that Government from behind.
“For instance, a month to the Olympics, Ese Brume’s dad was very ill. He needed money for surgery. He called me and I provided funds for him to go for the operation.
“The father didn’t call Ese because she was concentrating on her preparations for the Olympics.
“She never knew about the surgery until after the Olympics. That is how you help a system that nurtured you to that great height.
“So, what was his motive. Tome there are somethings that are better left unsaid about the former Minister.
“You can’t come to public space and be criticising your successor daily, saying things that are not meant to be said. It is morally wrong, it is unethical.
“Under Sunday Dare, I am not here to defend him, there is relative stability in Nigerian football. I don’t want to go into any form of comparison because to say the truth, there is no basis for comparison.
“There are some people who shouldn’t be taken seriously. I don’t like talking about individuals when we should be talking about issues, issues that will bring about solutions and not killing myself over things that visibly, we all know that there is a motive. And what is that motive? It is a sense of entitlement to that office.”
