By Morakinyo Abodunrin and Andrew Abbah
Pilloried for allegedly orchestrating the exit of Swede coach Thomas Dennerby which invariably led to the subsequent elimination of the Super Falcons from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Football Tournament (OFT), the Head of NFF Women’s Football Department Ruth David has been in the eyes of the storm for a while.
But for those familiar with the workings of Nigerian football, David remains one of the best things to have happened to the development of the women’s game with her puritanical devotion to duty.
Erstwhile President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Sani Lulu described David in glowing terms, adding that she was one of the most committed and dedicated staffers he worked with during his days in the Glass House.
Dissecting Super Falcons ouster from Tokyo 2020, Lulu said anybody attributing the team’s failure to David must have a rethink because she is a member of staff who takes order from the administrative heads of the federation.
“In the first place, why should anybody blame her (Ruth) for Super Falcons’ failure?” Lulu asked rhetorically. “Was she the coach? There is a technical department whose duty is to monitor the progress of the national teams and advise accordingly.
“Her (Ruth) duty is administrative not technical even at administrative levels she has bosses. If there would be blame, it should go to the board and the management not the staff.
“I was shocked when I read barrel of criticisms and the call for her removal when she is not the coach of the team,” note the former FCT Director of Sports under whose tenure David first served as Super Falcons Team Secretary en route to her promotion as Head of NFF Women’s Football Department.
In her capacity, David has worked with stakeholders in women’s football and as far as Nigerian football is concerned, they don’t come bigger than former member of the Executive Committee of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and immediate-past Chairperson of NFF’s Women Football Development Committee, Ayo Omidiran.
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She said: “I worked with Ruth since she was a young youth corps’ member and witnessed her rise to the head of NFF women’s football department. She’s a pleasant person to work with and I never quarrelled with her even once on anything.
“She took her job very seriously and she tried her best within available resources to get things done. She doesn’t have the power attributed to her. She only acts on instructions of her superior officials which is the normal bureaucracy of civil service.”
The former House of representative member was even more forthcoming when further pressed on allegation that Ruth was in the habit of doctoring team selection.
“Any proof? I was very close to coach Dennerby and he never reported Ruth to me. Whoever he told that he (Dennerby) left because of Ruth should show proof. I don’t know the motive (behind the allegation against Ruth) but then, God knows and He will judge each person accordingly,” surmised Omidiran.
Meanwhile, a Super Falcons’ forward who pleaded for anonymity has described David as the team’s leader and number one supporter, adding that her case was like a case of giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it.
“Ruth? She’s our leader and like a mother to all of us,” bellowed the China-based striker. “I don’t have personal relationship with her though but I see her as our leader; she’s the one giving us our bonuses.
“Of course, she doesn’t tolerate nonsense but she’s nice to me. But i don’t know about others.”
Though she rose through the ranks after the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), David is one of the most trained staffers currently working at the NFF.
She is graduate of FIFA’s Female Leadership Development Programme and in 2017, she was invited to the UEFA Women European Championship in Amsterdam, The Netherlands by FIFA as well as Russia 2018 FIFA Cup.
David was part of the 35 women football administrators worldwide selected for the FIFA Female Leadership Development Programme, and attended modules at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland.
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