Just few months in office as WAFU President, Dr. Amos Adamu has attracted banks and also signed a mouth-watering  sponsorship deals with a telecommunication outfit

 

By Chris Onokpegu

 

The Director General of National Sports Commission, NSC, Dr Amos Adamu, who also doubles as CAF/FIFA executive member on April 22, 2008 took over the reigns of West Africa Football Union, WAFU, from Jacques Anouma, in Abidjan.

 

The handing over ceremony was the climax of the 11th Ordinary General Assembly of the zonal union which took place in the Ivorien capital. Cape Verde was the only absentee at the Assembly which ended on Wednesday, April 23, 2008.

 

Before the hand-over, there had been no WAFU competition because of political in-fighting. A leadership battle between Adamu and the Ivorian Jacques Anouma has blighted the troubled body and derailed any revival plans of the beleaguered regional body but the Confederation of African Football (CAF) intervened and Adamu took over from Anouma as WAFU president.

 

The battle saw the emergence of a rival president, in the person of Dr. Amos Adamu, who was elected unopposed by nine out of the sixteen WAFU members in Accra, in a move to oust Ivorian Jacques Anouma.

But another meeting in Abidjan expressed confidence in Anouma's leadership, who was elected president of the organisation in 2004.

Nigeria, Mauritania, Mali, Benin, Ghana and Liberia showed up in Accra, while Guinea, Niger and Togo appeared to have sent representatives to both meetings.

 

Supporters of the president of the Ivorien Football Federation had decided to report the splinter group to FIFA before the continent's body, CAF intervened.

Adamu-led executive cited lack of activity for the decision to bring an abrupt end to Anouma's rule and their move was backed by CAF, which sent a high-powered delegation.

 

CAF first vice-president, general Seyi Memene said that Africa's ruling body's presence in Accra is legitimate. "CAF'S presence in Accra is simple and statutory. In Khartoum, at the last CAF Congress, it was agreed that CAF would send delegates to the General Assemblies of regional bodies. Thirteen of the WAFU members decided last year to hold an assembly here, hence why we are present,” Memene said.

Dr Adamu's take-over emanated from a meeting by the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on June 5, 2007 in Cairo, Egypt.

 

The CAF Executive Committee requested Mr Anouma, who doubles as president of the Cote d'Ivoire Football Association to hand over to Dr Adamu, when his tenure ends in April 2008 following an administrative impasse that rocked the union.

This was after Dr Adamu had been unanimously elected as president of the zonal union during the 10th General Assembly held in Accra on April 14, 2007.

 

Meanwhile, Dr. Amos Adamu says he will resign as the president of West Africa Football Union (WAFU), if he fails to organise a regional tournament within six months.

Despite the confusion surrounding his leadership, Adamu says he will revive the beleaguered organisation, which has been without a tournament since the 1990s.

 

His words: "I will resign, if I fail to organise a competition in six months, as that would simply show I failed and have nothing to offer. My election is significant for the region, as I will put an end to the five-year idleness, which has blighted WAFU.

"It's not about being a president but ensuring that the region regains it's lost glory in African football and I believe we have the manpower and support to do that. The previous regime could not organise a single competition since 2002 but now is the time to play football and not politics.  Once we start age-group and senior competitions, the sponsors will come around because we have the heavyweights of African football in our region."

While the imbroglio was on, the NSC Director-General, who believes in action grabbed a US$4m sponsorship deal with Nigerian telecommunication company, Globacom.

 

In a renewed effort to re-brand WAFU, he has also attracted some Nigerian banks, Oceanic and Spring.

Patron of former African champions, Enyimba, Orji Uzor Kalu has also donated a trophy for the next WAFU championship and promised to take care of all expenses made by organisers during the competition.

Moreover, at WAFU'S general assembly in Abidjan, Adamu unveiled other plans, which include the training of administrators and journalists, setting up a website, and raising funds through sponsorship deals.

Meanwhile, Amos Adamu said twelve countries from the region will participate in a youth event scheduled for 30th November to 14th December.

"Youths from our region need a proper developmental stage to thrive and that is what we want to provide for them. West African countries have dominated youth tournaments in Africa before and we want to continue with that trend.

"The next phase will be the senior sides of the region but first, we want to use this youth tourney to restore the battered pride of the WAFU Cup," he concluded.

 

Nigeria will be hosting teams from Cote D'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Gambia and Benin Republic. Others are Niger, Senegal, Cape Verde, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.

Dr. Adamu assured, during an in

teraction with sportswriters that there will be no dull moment during the forthcoming WAFU Under-20 men’s competition holding in Delta State, Nigeria from November 30 to December 14, 2008.

All efforts to revive WAFU competitions in the past failed. In one of such attempt in 2002, players of Senegal, Sierra Leone and Gambia were held hostage for nine days in the Ivorien city, Bouake after rebel soldiers attacked the city, the last time a meaningful tournament was held.

Despite boasting of some of the illustrious football countries like Ghana, Nigeria and Ivory Coast, WAFU has struggled to attract sponsorship during Anouma's tenure like its southern African counterparts, COSAFA.

Yet three of Africa's five World Cup finalists were in Germany (Ivory Coast, Ghana and Togo) came from the region and two of them, Ghana and Nigeria were in the last four of the Nations Cup hosted by the Gold Coast country.

Both Adamu and Anouma are members of the Executive committees of CAF and FIFA. Dr Adamu will head WAFU till 2012.