Barry Silkman: NFA writes FIFA

The Nigeria Football Association has protested strongly to world football –governing body, FIFA over the uncharitable remarks by one Barry Silkman who is supposed to be a FIFA Players’ Agent. Silkman said nasty things about Nigeria concerning the transfer of Everton FC and Super Eagles’ striker Yakubu Ayegbeni from Julius Berger to Maccabi Haifa in 1999.

In a letter dated Tuesday, 18th March 2008, the NFA wrote: “The purpose of this letter is to bring to your notice, the fiercely odious comments of one Barry Silkman, supposedly a FIFA agent, about the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in a London-based tabloid, News of the World, in which he inelegantly referred to a whole nation in extremely uncomplimentary terms”.

The NFA wrote further that Silkman “ran his mouth unchecked by saying: Julius Berger wanted me to get the money for them, they didn’t want it to go to Nigeria. Don’t ask me why. You are dealing with fucking Nigerians, you ain’t dealing with normal people. Everybody knows that Nigeria is a very corrupt country. I can’t remember now how much was there but it was at least $100,000. I don’t know what happened to the money after that but I never had one penny of the money that was transferred into my account.

“These are indeed weighty words about not just a responsible Member of FIFA, but also a responsive and diligent one for that matter. No country in the world is free of people who try to bend the rules, but it has always been our conviction in Africa that without the wild cats from Europe and elsewhere like Barry Silkman, who are ever ready to play under the counter and behind the curtain, all for some money, things would not be as bad here.

“Silkman’s comments about the world’s most populous black nation are not only condemnable, but are capable of bringing our nation to ridicule and opprobrium in the international arena. We are by this letter requesting that FIFA brings to bear on Barry Silkman, the full wrath of the provisions of the Players’ Agents’ Regulations, particularly Article 33.1 which makes it clear that a Players’ Agent’s licence can be withdrawn, among other sanctions.

“The NFA is equally conducting an independent investigation into how Silkman tried to get more money than he deserved from a single player transfer. Also, anyone found not to have played by the rules in the said transfer, within the shores of Nigeria, will be brought to book”.

Meanwhile, the NFA has also written to the management of Julius Berger FC to furnish it with details and documents relating to the said transfer before March 26.