The Guild of Sports Editors has called on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, institute a judicial panel of enquiry into the fire that gutted the secretariat of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Wednesday.
In a statement signed by its Interim President, Tony Ubani, the body noted that this has become inevitable considering the circumstances in which the Glass House was razed down.
There had been a mysterious fire at about 9.15am on Wednesday, which gutted the Glass House, razing it to the ground. Some documents were destroyed as well as properties yet to be estimated.
The fact that at the time of the fire there was no fire extinguisher speaks volume, and putting into perspective the actions and inactions of certain high ranking officers of the secretariat, then a judicial panel of enquiry devoid of political consideration was the only way out, the body noted.
“Some of the fire service officials said on Wednesday that the fire extinguishers at the secretariat have all expired since 2012. It was also alleged that several memos written since then for a replacement were not attended to. It sounds incredible that an organisation as big as the NFF does not have up to date fire extinguishers.
“In as a much as we are not pointing accusing fingers at anyone, we feel as stakeholders that this incident must not be swept under the carpet.
“Four years ago, $236,000 vanished into thin air at the secretariat of the NFF and till today, the money has not been found and no one has been found guilty.
“This is a national building, it is a loss that we cannot as a nation condone. Those behind this dastardly act must be brought to book,” the statement concluded.
In a statement signed by its Interim President, Tony Ubani, the body noted that this has become inevitable considering the circumstances in which the Glass House was razed down.
There had been a mysterious fire at about 9.15am on Wednesday, which gutted the Glass House, razing it to the ground. Some documents were destroyed as well as properties yet to be estimated.
The fact that at the time of the fire there was no fire extinguisher speaks volume, and putting into perspective the actions and inactions of certain high ranking officers of the secretariat, then a judicial panel of enquiry devoid of political consideration was the only way out, the body noted.
“Some of the fire service officials said on Wednesday that the fire extinguishers at the secretariat have all expired since 2012. It was also alleged that several memos written since then for a replacement were not attended to. It sounds incredible that an organisation as big as the NFF does not have up to date fire extinguishers.
“In as a much as we are not pointing accusing fingers at anyone, we feel as stakeholders that this incident must not be swept under the carpet.
“Four years ago, $236,000 vanished into thin air at the secretariat of the NFF and till today, the money has not been found and no one has been found guilty.
“This is a national building, it is a loss that we cannot as a nation condone. Those behind this dastardly act must be brought to book,” the statement concluded.
