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Tag: Giwa

  • APC’s Giwa hails tribunal’s judgment

    APC’s Giwa hails tribunal’s judgment

    The Plateau North Senatorial Candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the last general election, Ambassador Chris Musa Giwa, is gladdened by the judgment entered in his favour by the Court of Appeals sitting in Abuja.

     The tribunal nullified the election of Hon Simon Mwadkwon and declared the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State as lacking the locus to sponsor candidates, and ordered a rerun which the PDP would not participate in.

    Giwa praised the judges for their courage, and wisdom in dispensing justice according to the laws, stating that the judgment was landmark, and a victory for democracy.

    Read Also: Kogi East locked down as thousands rally for APC’s Ododo

     It would be recalled that after the February 25, general election, Amb. Giwa approached the National Assembly Election Tribunal in Jos seeking redress. Not satisfied with the judgment of the tribunal, he filed an appeal which was successful with the appeal tribunal judges finding merit and ruling in his favour.

    Giwa, in a statement, signed by his Media Aide, D’yong Mangut, appreciated his supporters and legal team for the support through this journey and exudes confidence that he would be victorious during the re-run ordered by the appeal tribunal.

     Also, he urged his supporters to see the judgment as ‘no victor no vanquished’ and thus celebrate moderately.

  • NFF crisis Pinnick fails to stop Giwa in court

    The Federal High Court in Jos yesterday refused to grant a request to stop Chris Giwa from taking over as the President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

    Amaju Pinnick, whose four-year tenure as NFF President is due to end on Sept. 30, filed a motion challenging the court’s ex-parte order which installed Giwa in office.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the court’s latest ruling meant Pinnick has again failed to dislodge Giwa from the NFF.

    Justice Musa Kurya, while ruling in the case between Yahaya Adama/Obinna Ogba and Aminu Maigari/Musa Ahmadu and two others, had on June 5 asked Pinnick’s NFF leadership to vacate office.

    His order had followed a Supreme Court judgment asking the lower court to again look at the matter between Yahaya group and Maigari’s group for determination.

    But Pinnick, through his counsel, Festus Keyamo, had on July 5, stormed the court with two motions.

    They demanded the vacation of the order, pending the determination of an application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case.

    Unfortunately, the motions could not be heard, due to objection by counsel to Adama and others, Mr Ardzard, leading to the case’s adjournment until July 10.

    When the case came up again on July 10, Keyamo’s representation claim for Maigari and Ahmadu was challenged by Shangyula Samuel.

    Samuel had told the court that he was the only appointed and briefed representative of the duo of Maigari and Ahmadu.

    That argument took long, with Keyamo withdrawing his appearance for the duo and left to represent only Pinnick, leading the judge to adjourn the case to Sept 25 for hearing.

    Kurya had stated he was already on vacation and could only sit when there was a directive from the Chief Justice of the Federation (CJN).

    The fiat indeed came from the CJN and the case was then fixed for hearing on Wednesday.

    When the case came up, Festus Ukpe from Keyamo’s Chambers told the court he had three motions for filing before it and which would be done in the afternoon.

    But Ardzard had objected to the Ukpe’s application on the ground that he (Ukpe) had not served them with copies of the motions.

    In his reply Ukpe, said he intended to file later in the day and at the same serve all other counsels in the matter with copies of all the three motions.

    After all arguments, Kurya later had to again adjourn the case to Sept. 25.

    He said this was to enable Pinnick’s counsel properly file his motions before the court and effect service to all the parties involved in the matter.

    NAN reports that this is the second effort by Pinnick to ensure Giwa was stopped from ousting him, by seeking an outright vacation of the order issued by the court.

  • Ishaku’s media aide Giwa buried

    Sylvanus Yakubu Giwa, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku, was buried in Takum at the weekend.

    Giwa died on June 23 after a brief illness. He was 54. He is survived by his wife, Namuma and three children.

    Dignitaries, including Governor Ishaku and Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, attended the funeral.

    The deceased served the three civilian governors – Jolly Nyame, the late Danbaba Suntai and Ishaku – as media aide.

    He was a reporter with the Taraba Television (TTV) from 1992 to 1993 and General Manager between 1999 and 2006.

    Ishaku described the deceased as patient, hard working and loyal.

    His words: “Sylvanus was a humble, patient and hard working person. He was vibrant and very sensitive to issues and always tried to do his best. He would always bring his works for corrections.

    “Any day he brought work and I didn’t make corrections he went out a very happy man, yet not satisfied, he would return to confirm whether I was really satisfied.

    “Nobody can take your life except God. Let us count our days and wait for our moments so that when the time comes, we shall be at the right hand of the Lord.”

    Former Governor Jolly Nyame, who sent his condolences, was saddened by Giwa’s death.

    “Giwa contributed immensely to the development of Taraba State,” he said.

  • Appeal Court overrules High Court over Giwa

    Appeal Court overrules High Court over Giwa

    • Says Plaintiffs were wrong in asking the case to be relisted

     

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Jos has dismissed the judgment of the Federal High Court Jos which pronounced Mr. Chris Giwa as the authentic President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)

    In a judgement delivered by Hon Justice Joseph Tur at the Appeal Court, Jos on Monday, said the rulling of the federal High Court Jos on April 8 returning Chris Giwa to the Glass house was null and void.

    Tur said that the case had been discontinued and that in the eyes of the law the case remained discontinued and that the plaintiffs were wrong in asking that the case be relisted.

    The Federal High Court Jos had in a ruling on Oct. 23, 2014, granted the request of Giwa nullifying the result of the Warri General Assembly and the subsequent elective congress that brought in the current NFF board led by  Amaju Pinnick into office.

    However, then President  Goodluck Jonathan faced with an imminent threat of FIFA ban had intervened, which led to  the Chris Giwa-led faction of the NFF withdrawing the case.

    But Messrs. Adama Yahaya and Obinna Ogba, acting on behalf of the Giwa-led faction had again approached the court on March 10, 2016 asking it to re-list the matter which they had earlier withdrawn, after  the former president’s intervention claiming that most of the issues that led to the court case had not been resolved.

    On April 8, Justice Musa Kurya, who heard the relisted case, ordered the recognition of Chris Giwa as the President of the NFF.  He also barred anybody from interfering with the duties and functions of the NFF board under the leadership of  Giwa.It was the ruling that the  Pinnick-led board  appealed.

    Justice Joseph Tur said in his judgement, “In ruling that Giwa be recognised as the president of NFF, the court should have taken into consideration the circumstances of the case giving that it struck out and discontinued by the same court on October 30, 2014.

    The presiding justice also faulted the submissions of the counsel to the respondents, Mr. Habila Azard, in which the decision of the court was made based on the undertaking that was taken prior to the judgement of October 30 and stated the process of relisting was not followed.

    The appeal court further faulted the ruling of the Federal High Court made on April 8, 2016 and said it should have considered the circumstances of the case given that it struck out and discontinued by the same court on the October, 30 2014

    Tur, while allowing the appeal of the NFF, set aside the ruling of the Federal High Court made on April 8, 2016 and reinstated the ruling made on  October 30, 2014.He awarded N50,000 cost against the the two parties.

  • Shorunmu, Giwa join Ikorodu Utd

    Shorunmu, Giwa join Ikorodu Utd

    Former Super Eagles goalkeeper coach, Ike Shorunmu has joined the top-flight newcomers, Ikorodu United as goalkeeper trainer for the rest of the on-going season.

    “Shorunmu and Giwa were presented to the team on Tuesday as goalkeeper trainer and assistant coach respectively. Shorunmu actually met with the players same yesterday (Tuesday) during training to familiarise himself with the bench and players.

    “Ikorodu United have a tradition of giving former internationals a pride of place in the team so the newest additions is in keeping with the house trend. Of course, their jobs are well spelt out to work assiduously hard to ensure the team survives relegation in the on-going season.

    “Incidentally, all the appointees will be on the bench for the first time in Sunday’s NPFL matchday 25 clash at MFM FC in Agege. We hope their experiences will signal an instant rebirth of the side’s fortune and firm path of survival. They are happy with the enormous challenge on their shoulders and promised not to disappoint,” said Ayoola to supersport.com.

    An official of Ikorodu United, Tunde Ayoola said the restructuring is aimed at helping the side stave off the threat of relegation starring the Lagos outfit in the face in the 24-week old Nigerian top-flight.

  • Giwa bundled out!

    Giwa bundled out!

    Giwa FC of Jos was bundled out of this year’s Federation Cup competition on Wednesday, just as NPFL side Heartland FC crashed out to non –League team, Top World FC of Ekiti at Oleh Township Stadium.

    Lokoja’s Confluence Stadium was the venue of Giwa FC’s fall, as the team was spanked 2-0 by NPFL side Sunshine Stars.

    The Federation Cup fully lived up to its character of surprises and more surprises with another NPFL club, MFM of Lagos made to sweat before eliminating El-Kanemi Babes of Maiduguri on penalties in Kaduna.

  • Police whisks Chris Giwa away again

    Police whisks Chris Giwa away again

    The struggle  to take over the administration of the Nigeria Football  Federation (NFF) continued yesterday as Chris Giwa led faction inaugurated  its own state FA Normalisation Committee at the Star View Palace Hotel in Abuja yesterday.

    There was a period of anxiety when some policemen from the office of the FCT Commissioner of Police, Wilson Inalegwu stormed the hotel premises in three Toyota Hilux vans and requested to speak with Amb. Giwa.

    The meeting which commenced around 12.30pm yesterday was rounded off  around 2.20pm after which Shehu Adamu, a member of the board read out the communique issued after the meetings. Shortly after, a policeman in mufti, who claimed to be from office of the Commissioner of Police (CP) excused Giwa out and was driven in a black Toyota Camry car marked  GK 920 LSR at about 2.30 pm.

    Few minutes after, they took Giwa away while another batch of armed mobile policemen numbering about 38 stormed the same venue chanting war songs.

    Giwa and his men reappeared at the hotel at around 5.10pm shortly after the 38 policemen had left the hotel. He told journalists at the hotel that there was nothing fishy or serious about his invitation by the Police.

    “What the CP did is the right thing because he is in charge of the security of the state. But if you want me to tell you my discussion with the CP,  it’s like if you see me in the room with my wife and you ask what we were doing. But to your question, there was a gathering of people here and to the best of my own knowledge he has the right to do what he did”, Giwa defended.

    Earlier in the communiqué issued after the meeting and read by one of Giwa’s members, Dr. Shehu Adamu said that the newly inaugurated FA chairmen have resolved to request to fix a date for the convocation of an extra-ordinary general assembly of the NFF at a possible shortest time.

  • Why we failed to honour Enyimba game – Giwa

    Why we failed to honour Enyimba game – Giwa

    Giwa FC will not honour the decision of the Nigeria GiwaFootball Federation Disciplinary Committee banishing it to Ilorin because the verdict was not only reached by a body it considers illegal but also because the club’s appeal has not been treated, its proprietor, Chris Giwa has said.

    The Jos-based club has failed to honour four home matches – including the rescheduled match against Enugu Rangers and the May 18, midweek match against Enyimba – it was scheduled to play in Abuja and subsequently in Ilorin.

    Stating his position on the banishment, Chris Giwa said the club was willing to accept any decision taken as long as it was by a committee constituted under the auspices of the Shehu Dikko-led LMC and not the NFF disciplinary Committee, based on the pending court case challenging the legality of the NFF Executive board led by Amaju Pinnick.

    The club was sanctioned by the League Management Company (LMC) after crowd trouble during their MatchDay 13 home game against Enugu Rangers.

  • Nigeria league rule expels Giwa after third walkover

    Nigeria league rule expels Giwa after third walkover

    According to the rules of the Nigeria  league, Giwa FC have been expelled from the competition after they stayed away from a third game on Wednesday in Ilorin.

    Enyimba walked over the absent Jos club in Ilorin on Wednesday afternoon to bring to three the number of matches Giwa have failed to honour so far this season without any acceptable reason.

    Wikki Torurists and Akwa United also walked over Giwa in Ilorin, where the Jos club were banished to following crowd trouble during a home game against Enugu Rangers recently.

    Last week, the League Management Company(LMC) formally cautioned Giwa they risked expulsion from the league.

    The LMC referred to Rule 13.28 which states as follows,” if a club fails to honour three matches cumulatively within the league season without acceptable reason to the LMC such a club shall be expelled from the League and its matches played and unplayed shall be cancelled.”

    It is now left for the league to enforce this regulation.

  • Giwa FC shun Akwa Utd tie

    Giwa FC shun Akwa Utd tie

    The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side, Giwa FC will not honour matchday 16 clash against Akwa United on yesterday at the Kwara State Stadium in llorin.

    The League Management Company (LMC) has asked the Jos Elephants to llorin for their three home matches after crowd trouble at their home ground, Rwang Pam Stadium in Jos in matchday 12 clash against Enugu Rangers.

    The Tin City side failed to honour the first match on the llorin calendar against Wikki Tourists and were subsequently walked-over. The Jos side now risk severe sanction including immediate expulsion from the league organisers, LMC due to rules violation.

    “No, we have not travelled to llorin for the clash against Akwa United, we are still in Jos as we speak (Wednesday, 12:52pm) we had our normal training session in the morning at the Rwang Pam Stadium.

    “I do not think we will play the match against Akwa United as usual as nobody has briefed us on the match plan. We are confused and worried as nobody is coming forth to tell us what the situation is at the moment.

    “We are not finding the quietness anything funny because we know that the aftermath effect will not be good for anyone,” said the unnamed source to supersport.com.