Ex-NSC DG: Blatter’s decision to step down as FIFA boss saves face of football

Former Director-General (DG) of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Patrick Ekeji, said on Wednesday that the decision of Sepp Blatter to step-down as FIFA President was honourable.
Ekeji explained that Blatter’s decision became necessary to save the face of football.
He said that as the Executive President of FIFA, Blatter had no option than to bear the consequences of what was attached to his position.
“I would say that what Blatter had done is to take the part of honour, because he is the Executive President. Even if he may not be directly involved, it is under his watch.
“The criticisms from investigations have revealed so much about what has been going on underneath FIFA under his watch.
“It got to this level where I believe he thinks the better thing for me to do is to step down to save his own credibility that is left and to pave way for proper investigations.
“As you will agree with me, FIFA has always been hard to say that it does not condone corruption; if any member is found guilty, he answers for himself.
“But then, at some point, as the head of the place, if these things continue to happen and they are behaviours that have been proved that are happening, the better thing for him to do is to take the part of honour and leave.
He said that the investigation of Jerome Valcke, the FIFA Secretary-General, might have necessitated Blatter’s decision.
Ekeji said that for Valcke, who was Blatter’s confidant to be investigated, meant that the FIFA boss himself might not be free from some of the corruption allegations.
“The suspicion, therefore, is that it is not impossible that Blatter is not aware of some of these things; Valcke is so close to him that it may be expected that he briefs Blatter.
“It may be so, it may not have been so, but everything ends on Blatter’s table.’’
Ekeji said that Blatter would have escaped the current corruption investigation if the name “Executive’’ was not attached to his position.
He said that Blatter changed the statutes of FIFA to suit his position, contrary to what the office was when Joao Havelange was the FIFA President.
According to him, Blatter is the Executive President; what that means is that everything ends with him. That is the other side of being an Executive President.
“When Blatter was there as FIFA Secretary-General, Havelange was not the Executive President. Blatter took all the decisions as Secretary-General because he was the most powerful.
“The FIFA executive will meet and take policy decisions for the Secretary-General to implement; but you recall that when Blatter was elected as the President, he was the person that reviewed the structure.
“This was to make the President’s office an executive one. He sold that idea to member countries to review their own statutes in line with FIFA statutes, so that the president of the various football Associations will also be called executive.
“That was one of the promises he gave to member nations, especially Africa, and they bought into it. That’s how our own NFA changed to NFF and then, Executive President. Well, that is what goes with power. If you have absolute power, then you have to take the consequences of what goes with it.’’
Blatter said he would resign as head of the World Football Governing body and that an extraordinary FIFA Congress would be convened to elect his successor.