—By Vanguard News
A major legal battle is looming between former President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, and Monimichelle Sports Construction Company over the stalled FIFA Goal Project in Ugborodo, Delta State.
The FIFA GOAL Programme, designed to support the development of football globally, was launched under the leadership of former FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and ratified by the FIFA Congress in 1999. Under this initiative, two mini-stadiums were approved for Nigeria in 2020—one in Birnin Kebbi and the other in Ugborodo.
While the Birnin Kebbi project was successfully executed and commissioned, the Ugborodo stadium has become mired in controversy. Pinnick, who championed the project during his tenure, is accusing Monimichelle Sports, led by Bayelsa-born contractor Ebi Egbe, of breach of contract and abandoning the project despite receiving over half of the $1.1 million contract sum.
According to Pinnick, Monimichelle received $650,000 in two tranches but delivered only partial site clearing and an incomplete stand. He claims that after multiple failed efforts to get the project moving, he personally loaned the contractor $100,000 and later ₦5 million, all documented, but the project remained stalled.
Meanwhile, Monimichelle has fired back, alleging manipulation and unfair treatment by the NFF and Pinnick. In a strongly worded statement, the contractor said he was tricked into signing the contract without a prior site inspection. He claims he only discovered the challenging terrain of Ugborodo—deep in the Atlantic with no access roads—on the day of site handover.
“The site was less than a metre from the river, with no embankment. We had to move the project 100 metres inland, reclaim land, and level a sloped 10-hectare terrain—none of which was in the initial bill,” said Egbe. “We trusted Pinnick because he said Ugborodo was his community and he had FIFA’s backing. That was a big mistake.”
Egbe also claimed that the construction drawings handed to his firm were substandard and initially unapproved by Delta State authorities. “It took six months for the NFF’s consultants to correct the drawings,” he noted. “The pavilion foundation had to be changed from pad to raft, and the fence foundation still has no approved drawing after three years.”
Despite multiple meetings with FIFA and the NFF, Monimichelle said there has been no response to recent communications. He added that an independent joint valuation of the project estimated its actual worth at over $3.5 million—well above the initial contract value. According to him, only $500,000 of the approved sum has been paid to his company.
The contractor insists he is prepared to defend his reputation and brand in court.
“Amaju is blackmailing me because I refused to play along with his proxies. Monimichelle is a recognized name in sports construction. We won’t allow our brand to be dragged through the mud,” Egbe stated.
Pinnick, on his part, sees the Ugborodo project as a personal legacy initiative for his Itsekiri community. He personally lobbied for the project to be awarded to a Nigerian-owned company and reportedly helped secure necessary documentation and support from community leaders. The former NFF boss has also pointed to his numerous other philanthropic efforts in the region, including the FIFA-approved Ode-Itsekiri pitch, scholarships through his Brownhill Foundation, and development of sports facilities in Warri and Ughelli.
However, critics have seized on the stalled project to question Pinnick’s motives, with some accusing him of using the initiative to acquire land—an allegation he has denied.
Further complicating the saga is Pinnick’s long-standing feud with former NANF chairman, Harrison Jalla, who has accused him of corruption. Despite court dismissals, the allegations continue to fuel suspicion in some quarters.
At present, the Ugborodo project is under arbitration in Lagos, with a new contractor on standby pending full contract termination with Monimichelle.
For the people of Ugborodo, the dream of a FIFA-standard stadium now hangs in the balance—caught between legal proceedings, political tensions, and unfulfilled promises. As both Pinnick and Monimichelle prepare for a legal duel, the once-hopeful project stands as a stark reminder of the fragility of development efforts in Nigeria’s sports sector.
Credit: Vanguard Newspaper
