Nigeria doesn’t need task force for World Cup –Kurfi

Proprietor of Future Africa Academy Alhaji Aminu Balele Kurfi, yesterday kicked against calls for the setting up of a Presidential Taskforce on Nigeria’s participation in the 2014 World Cup, saying such a taskforce will instead create problems for the country in Brazil.

Kurfi, who stated this in a chat with reporters in Abuja, said the issues that prompted the constitution of a Presidential Taskforce by late President Umaru Yar’adua have all been addressed, hence his objection to the calls.

“We don’t need a Presidential Taskforce of the World Cup now, setting up such a taskforce will be counterproductive because the reasons that made the government of late Umaru Yar’adua to set up a Presidential Taskforce in 2010 are not with us today.

“The first reason was that our qualification was shaky and we needed the taskforce to mobilize resources and otherwise for us to be in South Africa 2010. But Nigeria has already qualified for the World Cup, so the issue of qualification has been knocked out.

“Again, on the issue of 4resources, government has taken substantial part of the budget needed to prosecute the World Cup, and I believe that the little that is left can be sourced by a capable marketing committee and department of the NFF. So, we don’t need a taskforce to go to the World Cup,” Kurfi said.

Besides, he said the goodwill from corporate sponsors, multinational companies and other bodies will help address some of the Federation’s needs at the World Cup fiesta.

“The NFF will definitely enjoy some goodwill from sponsors, and other corporate world as a result of the achievements recorded by the present NFF board, so with massive marketing drive, money will come. But the marketing committee with the marketing department must definitely work for it,” he concluded.