By Ifeoma Ononye:
In a passionate call for reform, international sports law expert, Adedotun Olusanya Esq. has urged African football associations to abandon the “specificity of sports” doctrine that shields them from government oversight.
Speaking at a recent 1-day seminar organized by the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria in Ado-Ekiti, Olusanya argued that this doctrine has allowed corruption and mismanagement to flourish in African football governance.
He is credited by SWAN for the novelty in his seminar series being the first lawyer to adopt a national approach in educating the Nigerian sporting community on International Sports Governance and Sports Law.
.“The doctrine of specificity of sports has become a shield for unaccountability,” Olusanya stated. “It’s time for African governments to lift the veil and demand that member associations be answerable to the people they serve.”
Olusanya quoted copiously and referred to his recently concluded work – “Beyond Sports Governance: Constructing a Veritable Platform for Transparency and Accountability in FIFA” in his presentation at Ado-Ekiti attended by SWAN members across Nigeria.
Olusanya pointed to the leadership crisis that plagued Nigerian football between 2008-2012 as a prime example of the dangers of unchecked autonomy. During this period, rival factions battled for control of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), leading to FIFA’s threats of suspension and governmental intervention.
“Had there been proper oversight and accountability measures in place, that entire fiasco could have been avoided,” Olusanya asserted. “Instead, we saw years of instability that harmed Nigerian football at all levels.”
The sports law expert has been a vocal advocate for reform, presenting his research at SWAN seminars across Nigeria. His work argues that while sports bodies need some autonomy, they cannot operate entirely outside the purview of national laws and governmental supervision.
“The insistence by FIFA in its Statute that the Court of Arbitration for Sports has jurisdiction over all issues governing its Member-Associations directly conflicts with our laws when the Nigerian Football Association is a body created by the National Assembly.
Excluding the jurisdiction of the national court’s jurisdiction is a conflict of law issue and no private organization should possess powers that override a national court’s sovereignty,” Olusanya explained.
“We need a governance model that respects our unique challenges and ensures accountability to stakeholders.”
Olusanya’s proposed solutions include expanding the jurisdiction of national courts over sports disputes, implementing stricter financial reporting requirements for associations, and creating independent oversight boards with governmental representation.
Adedotun Olusanya Esq recommends several reforms to address deficiencies in FIFA’s 2016 governance rules. These include expanding the governance committee, reducing and restructuring the FIFA Council, appointing rather than electing judicial officers with term limits, and imposing stricter term limits on principal officers and committee members.
Olusanya also proposes increased cooperation with international law enforcement for investigations and background checks on FIFA officials, as well as appointing NGO representatives to the Review Committee and strengthening whistleblower protections.
Source: Newtelegraph: https://newtelegraphng.com/sports-law-expert-calls-for-end-to-specificity-of-sports-doctrine/