Blatter banned me to block probe –Adamu

 

A former FIFA and CAF Executive Committee member, Dr. Amos Adamu, has alleged that he was banned for three years by a “Sepp Blatter influenced” FIFA Ethics and Disciplinary Committee to prevent a possible probe of corrupt dealings involving the football body in the failed London bid for the 2018 World Cup.

Adamu who is also a former president of the West Africa Football Union, said in Lagos on Wednesday that all through his stay in FIFA he never asked for cash in return for his vote the way the FIFA top executives had done for years as exposed by the FBI probe and Chuck Blazer’s confessional statements.

He said, “It is an accepted norm in FIFA for countries bidding to host the World Cup to make promises to develop football facilities in affiliate countries which lack development. And London voluntarily chose to do that for Nigeria. The opposing bid country also made the same promises. On this I asked London to purchase all the materials for the artificial turf stadiums and send to me and never asked for money.

“Blatter banned me for two things; to pacify the angry London Bid Committee not to investigate him further and also due to a $30m debt owed the FIFA Security Committee by the Nigerian government. This was incurred ahead of the 2009 U-17 World Cup. The surety to pay was signed by late President Umaru Yar’Adua, while former president Goodluck Jonathan refused to pay.”

Adamu alleged that Blatter’s decision to resign as FIFA president was a tactical move to prevent any possible move to investigate him deeper.

“There is a FIFA regulation under the Swiss Law which says once you resign all investigations against you stops.”