President-General of Nigeria Football Supporters’ Club (NFSC) worldwide a business mogul, Dr Rafiu Ladipo, speaks on the disunity in the supporters’ club, the state of Nigeria’s football, his political dream, and other related issues in this interview with FRANCIS AJUONUMA

For a long time now you have remained the face of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, however, in recent times, the once-respected club has been factionalized into four groups, is this a sign of your rejection?

Well, as far as I’m concerned, I’m the president of the entire Nigeria Football Supporters’ Club (NFSC) World-wide. Whosever must have gone to establish whatever; they are on their own, that’s all I have to say.

There is this belief that the Super Eagles have underperformed in recent times because they have not been able to enjoy the kind of overwhelming support, they had enjoyed in the past from the Supporters club due to the balkanization of the group into four groups how truth is this?

Yes, the division in the supporters’ club is a huge minus for our national teams. Honestly, the crisis has impacted negatively Nigeria’s football.

So, what are you doing, or what effort has been put in place to resolve the crisis and ensure that the different factions are reunited again?

I’ve spent money many times and I’m still trying but the powers that be wouldn’t want this to happen and that’s why we still have this division. The division in the supporters’ club cannot help Nigeria’s football and I expect those in power to bring sanity into the club, whereby all the groups will come under one umbrella: the Nigeria Football Supporters Club. But since they have gone outside to register their own, well, they can remain on their own but when it comes to national service, we should come together to support the teams.

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You said the powers that be are against peace returning to the Nigeria Supporters Club, who are these powers that be?

You also know who divided the Nigeria Football Supporters Club. I’m not going to tell you this anymore. You are part of the story for several years. I shouldn’t be mentioning names. I just said the powers that be; you should know what it means since you are part of what has been happening, so, there is no need to mention names anymore. We’ve flogged and flogged and over flogged this matter several times on television, and radio. Severally, we’ve over-flogged it and so, if they are seeing it as a way of life and new life to them, well, let’s see if it can help Nigeria Football to grow, but I do know that it is counterproductive.

You have said you won’t name those who divided the supporters club, but I was at a forum where l gathered that you have been side-lined by the NFF because you are now what they called “Old School” and that the NFF prefers to deal with the young generation of the supporters club. So, what is your response to this?

Well, you can see the difference now; the “Old School” and New School, you can see the difference……..Laughter. the person is not there anymore what the “Old School” was doing was passion, passion and that passion is what has taken us to wherever in the world and that is why the success stories of Nigerian football cannot be written without the mention of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club. In the “New School”, you can see a big difference, the disparity. So, your guess is as good as mine.

A few days ago, the Super Eagles failed to make it to the 2022 FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar despite all expectations, was the outcome a surprise to you?

The “Old School” advised them long ago. The “Old School” has been telling them that Nigeria has been in crisis, and we needed a surgical operation to put it right but nobody bordered to listens to the “Old School” and sometimes they tell us because of lack of people who wouldn’t want to listen. For me as I’m concerned the result has shown that Nigerian football is dying. I’ve been shouting and nobody cares to listen and what has happened today has vindicated me. We’re in the world cup in 2018 we did not cross the first round. We’re in Cameroon we did not scale the second round, now we had the opportunity to qualify for the 2022 World Cup on a platter of gold and we squandered the opportunity so you can see the difference.

So, what do you think went wrong with that team?

I said Nigerian football is in crisis we need a surgical operation to put it right. Several things are wrong with our football and all these things must be addressed.

And what are those things?
From management to technical to lack of commitment on the part of the players to division in the Nigeria Supporters Club, the division in the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), and the rest. You know that we’ve problems, we’ve problems, let us face the problems, and nobody should behave as if he’s ignorant of what is happening. We’ve problems in the Supporters’ Club, we’ve problems in SWAN, we have problems with the technical crew, we’ve problems even with the players themselves; they are no longer committed as they used to be. So, unless this crisis is attacked headlong now our football will continue to suffer.

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Are you aware that in the next four years we might not be part of the World Cup and the World Cup comes every four years, are we sure we’re going to be part of the next one?

We played a match here in Abuja, the stadium was filled; more than its capacity and what happened. The boys (Super Eagles) were supported from the beginning of the match through the match to the end and there was no moment where they booed the players, even with their lackluster performance. They were being hailed, they were being cheered to score goals, and unfortunately, they lost the crucial match to Ghana right on our soil. So, we should know something is wrong with us, fundamentally and technically, even spiritually. A lot of things are wrong with us.

You said you won’t mention names but there is this argument that we shouldn’t have sacked Gernot Rohr when we did and the decision of NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, to flood the Super Eagles with mere average UK-based players who could not rise to the occasion when it matters most were contributing factors to Super Eagles World Cup failure, do you agree with these school of thoughts?

You are the one saying it…(laugher), but listen to me, the press should help me. I’ve said this many times. I was the only person left; the only man left standing. When I was telling the whole country that our football was going down, even, you journalists did not support what I was saying, now there is a problem you now want me to mention names. What names am I going to mention? Have I not been saying it? I saw it coming and I warned Nigerians, that even in this match against Ghana I said we can only win if we pray. We must pray to win this match. What has happened, did we win? Also, there is another argument that Coach Augustine Eguavoen should not have invited new players into the team with less than a week to prepare for the crucial game. It is one of the wrong things. I’ve said there were many things wrong with our football. From management to coaching to supporters and lack of players’ commitment, even in SWAN. How many SWAN do we have today? Is that what it used to be? So, everything about our football has gone awry for now.

Will you support Amaju Pinnick’s candidacy if he decides to go for a third term as NFF President later this year?

First and foremost, I’m not a delegate, I don’t have a voting right. The people who are to vote are the State FA chairmen and before you can do anything, even, if you are going to repeat a class you must show us your scorecard. So, let them show us their scorecard for the last seven and half years.

So, if you are asked to score the present board of the NFF where will you place them?

They should tell us what they have achieved in the last seven and half years. They should tell us what we’ve won in the past seven and half years. They should tell us how many championships they have won in seven and half years. They should tell us if this is the way we’re running our football before. They should tell us. I’ve been saying since the year 2018 that our football is dying and now that our football is dead, virtually dead what do you want me to say. I’m not a delegate and I don’t have voting power. Whatever they do, all of them should hold themselves responsible for what has happened to Nigerian Football. Those of them in the NFF and those of them at the states FA should hold themselves responsible because they all put us in this situation.

You just said they, NFF, and State FAs should be held responsible for the present state of Nigerian football, and invariably you are saying the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF board has failed?

I’ve not said they have failed…(laughter) but they should show us their scorecard, maybe when they show their scorecard that we’ll be able to say if they have failed or they have passed.

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President-General, you are such a popular figure in Nigeria and one would have thought by now you should be in politics, seeking an elective position, why are you not?

If you are called to a particular profession, you go ahead and do it. I’m not playing politics because I don’t believe in it, but I believe in only one thing that can give Nigerians a big image and a good name around the world and that’s football. Come to talk politics, Nigerian politics is nothing to write home about. Around the world, we have no place in politics but football. It’s only football that unites us. It’s only football that gives us a better image and that’s why I’m into supporter ship in the last 46 years and I’ve done it so well with my people to the extent that my group that nobody wanted to be part of becoming the best Supporters’ group in the whole world by FIFA recognition and we’re given an award in 1994, the same thing in 1996, the same thing with CAF and the rest. They know us that we’re the best in the world but alas, like I told you before the division, and the Supporters’ Club is already becoming a shadow of themselves.

What’s chasing you away from Nigerian politics?

Politicians deceive us a lot. I don’t believe in deceit. I believe in reality. I believe in saying something and doing it. Our politicians have failed this country. So, for me, I’m not happy with the state of affairs when it comes to politics in Nigeria.

Do you still have a plan to go into active politics in the future?

Well, let us wait and see because I do know that a lot of people have been calling me to come into politics but I’m telling them unless things are put straight, people like me may not want to dabble in Nigeria’s politics but if things are put straight and all the dos and dots are watched and guided against, I’ll, but for now Nigerian politics, I’m not interested in now