The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Sani Lulu

  • Lulu partners Fountain University on Folsa Academy

    Lulu partners Fountain University on Folsa Academy

    Former President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Sani Lulu, has entered into a partnership with Fountain University, Osogbo, to provide tertiary education to students from his football academy, Folsa, Abuja.

    Lulu and the university agreed on the partnership during his visit to the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Abdullateef Usman, on Friday in Osogbo.

    He said that his academy was determined to empower youths using football as a tool to develop their intelligence and talent and providing them well-balanced academic and sports curriculum.

    Lulu said the academy, established in 2011, provided an avenue for youths that were naturally endowed in football to develop their talents and mold them to become leaders.

    It also helps them to become football legends through provision of education, he said.

    “Our cardinal objective is to propel the youths to participate in football and become educated.

    “We are proud to be working and partnering with Fountain University and we acknowledge the honour for the acceptance of our academy’s graduates into the university,’’ Lulu said.

    He said the players who won the silver medal at the 2016 NNPC/Shell Cup would be graduating from his academy after writing their West African Senior Secondary Examination soon.

    He added that the partnership would make it easy for the students to select Fountain University as their choice institution while writing their UTME.

    Responding, Usman said that having discussed with the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the institution; the partnership would not suffer any setback because the members were sports lovers.

    Usman commended Lulu’s giant strides in planning the future of young players along with their education, noting that invitation would be extended to them soon to sign the Memorandum of Understanding.

    Lulu was accompanied to the institution by former Secretary-General of the NFF, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi and the Principal of Folsa Academy, Mrs. Josephine Ebhodaghe among others.

     

  • Lagerback’s success with Iceland not surprising – Lulu

    Lagerback’s success with Iceland not surprising – Lulu

    Former president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Sani Lulu, on Tuesday said the impressive performance of tiny Iceland at the ongoing European championship in France has shown Nigerians the reason why his board appointed Lars Lagerback as Super Eagles’ coach in 2010.

    The Swede has led Iceland to the quarter final of the European championship following the team’s surprise 2-1 victory over England on Monday.

    Lagerback was appointed Super Eagles coach before the start of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but left immediately after Nigeria’s elimination from the tournament, but Lulu said he would have retained the coach if he had remained in office.

    “Lagerback’s success with Iceland has not come as a surprise. I remember when we interviewed him for the Super Eagles job, he blew us away with his knowledge of football by using a projector to argue his case,” Lulu told Owngoalnigeria.com.

    ” I wanted him to remain as coach after the World Cup in South Africa, but unfortunately I left my role as president of the NFF and now Nigerians are seeing why we appointed him in 2010 ahead of Glen Hoddle.”

  • Lulu, Ogunjobi lose bid to stop corruption trial

    Lulu, Ogunjobi lose bid to stop corruption trial

    Justice Evoh Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday dismissed a “no-case-submission” filed by a former President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Sani Lulu, in his trial for corruption.

    Also being tried alongside Lulu are a former first vice president of NFF, Amanze Uchegbulam, a former executive committee member, Taiwo Ogunjobi, and ex-NFF Secretary-General, Bolaji Ojo-Oba.

    They were arraigned for corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on September 6, 2010.

    The quartet were accused of misappropriating over N1.5billion released by the Federal Government to the NFF without giving proper accounts of how the money was spent during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

    They are also said to have siphoned about $125,000 through shoddy hotel bookings in South Africa during the World Cup.

    Lulu and other were also accused of flouting due process in the purchase of two Marcopolo buses for the national teams as well as sharing of N185million amongst state chairmen of NFF in their futile bid to remain in control of the football federation.

  • Sani Lulu: I want justice, not to be NFF President

    Sani Lulu: I want justice, not to be NFF President

    The former president of  Nigeria Football Federation(NFF), Sani Lulu Abdullahi, has declared that he is no longer interested in returning as NFF president but that he is desirous of getting justice over his unlawful impeachment and protracted five-year-long court battle.

    Abdulllahi, who was impeached in 2010, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside Amanze Uchegbulam, Bolaji Ojo-Oba and Taiwo Ogunjobi for offences bordering on conspiracy and breach of due process which is in contravention of the public procurement act over purchase of two buses.

    The former NFF top officials were accused by the EFCC to have breached due process in the purchase of two Marcopolo buses in a 10-count charge when they were first arraigned in October 2010.

    Lulu stated this while responding to questions at his home town, Idah after the finals of the 2015 FOSLA U-13 Cup about his future as regards to contesting for his former post as president of Nigeria’s top football governing body if there be fresh elections.

    “I must at this point appreciate everyone who has been standing by me in the face of my predicament since the injustice I suffered in 2010. I believe in justice and those who for their desperate interests to sabotage our efforts and truncated our passionate visions will meet their doom and know no peace,” Abdullahi told Goal.

    “However at this point, I wish to state categorically that I’m not interested in returning as NFF president. I have had the chance and never left anything at the Glass House. Though I was aggrieved with how I was illegally impeached by those who we trusted to have shared in the visions of developing the game.

    “Football is a game I love with passion and my achievements when I was the NFF president before I was forcefully impeached are still very visible for everyone to see. Nobody can disclaim the fact that we did revive the game from its dead state,” he said.

    “No hard feelings as I have since then moved on, but will continue to pray for justice to prevail. Justice delayed is not justice denied. No matter how long, I will wait for justice as I’m not guilty of any corruption charges.

    “Nobody is asking questions where the N2.8 billion I left in office was, but the unfounded charges about the two buses were duly bought for the Federation and still in use till date after five years,” he concluded.