The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Musa Amadu

  • Kebbi to spend N1.1bn on road construction

    Kebbi to spend N1.1bn on road construction

    The Kebbi Commissioner for Works and Transport, Alhaji Atiku Bunu, has said that the State Government has earmarked N1.1billion for township road construction in Kalgo Local Government Area of the state.

    Bunu said this while inspecting the ongoing road project in Kalgo on Friday.

    The commissioner said the provision of township roads would be accorded priority, considering their relevance to the social and economic activities in state.

    He told journalist that the 13 kilometre road in the area was expected to be completed in 24 months time.

    Bunu tasked ZBCC, the firm constructing the roads, to ensure the timely completion of the project in line with specifications.

    He gave the assurance that funds would be released as the projects progresses and urged the supervising state engineers to monitor the project and ensure compliance with the laid down rules.

    A resident of the area, Musa Amadu, said the project would reduce the hardship faced by people and boost social and economic activities.

    NAN

  • I didn’t forge FIFA’s letter – Amadu

    I didn’t forge FIFA’s letter – Amadu

    The General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, Musa Amadu, has denied claims that he has been forging FIFA letters to suit certain purposes and has asked to be sued if it can be proven that he has been involved in forgery.

    Several FIFA letters have been received by the NFF over the last six month since the federation crises began, and there have been insinuations in some quarters that some of those letters may have been forged to suit certain agenda, with Amadu primarily fingered as the culprit.

    However, the NFF General Secretary, himself a lawyer, has told sl10.ng that if the allegations can be proven, then he should be taken to court for forgery.

    “If Musa Amadu is manufacturing letters from FIFA, that is a criminal offence, a forgery and people should take Musa Amadu to court. You know it is a criminal offence. He who alleges, must prove and if somebody says Musa Amadu forges letters from FIFA, he should provide the evidence to the police, so that they can prosecute Musa Amadu for a criminal offence,” he said unequivocally.

    The latest FIFA letter, which apparently recognized the controversial “majority report”– that dismissed all petitions against the conduct of the September 30 NFF elections and upheld the elections of Amaju Pinnick and his board members – has since caused more controversy, with insinuations that the letter was manufactured by the NFF to suit their agenda.

     

  • I received FIFA’s letter – Amadu

    The General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Musa Amadu, has debunked a report that he denied receiving a letter from world football –governing body FIFA which upheld the majority decision of the NFF 2014 Electoral Appeals Committee.

    “How can I deny receiving a letter that was addressed directly to me?

    “I don’t know where that report is coming from.

    “I duly received the letter and my position is that we now have peace of mind to focus on our plans and programmes for the development of Nigerian football,” Amadu maintained.

    FIFA on Tuesday upheld the majority decision of the NFF 2014 Electoral Appeals Committee that accepted the NFF 2104 Elective Congress of September 30th, 2014 in Warri, the Delta state capital.

    That the Elective Congress brought into office Amaju Pinnick as NFF President, with other persons also into the NFF Executive Committee for a four –year term.

    FIFA’s letter, signed by the Secretary General, Mr. Jerome Valcke, also disclosed that arrangements are being concluded for a meeting between FIFA’s President, Mr. Sepp Blatter and Mr. Pinnick.

  • ‘NFF crisis delays World Cup cash’

    ‘NFF crisis delays World Cup cash’

    Top Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) official, Musa Amadu, has said Nigeria is yet to receive the nine million dollars prize money earned for appearing at the last FIFA World Cup in Brazil because of the leadership crisis in the federation.

    “The money is ready, but the katakata (crisis) we have had has meant we are yet to access it,” africanFootball.com quoted Amadu as saying in a radio interview in Abuja Tuesday.

    “We believe that once everything is sorted, we will get the cash.”

    The leadership tussle began soon after the country’s elimination by France in the round of 16 clash played in Brasilia on June 30.

    Amadu also said the federation is very much aware of the $3.8 million received from the federal government to offset the appearance fee for the players at Brazil, adding that the money would be refunded once the World Cup fund is collected.

    “We have a memo from the sports ministry reminding us of our obligation to the government and once we get the money, we will pay up,” he said.

     

  • Amadu calls for fair process

    Amadu calls for fair process

    Embattled General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Musa Amadu says they want to get a very credible process when elections into the board of the NFF takes place on September 30.

    Amadu has also told SL10.ng that they want to do the ‘right thing’ and ensure elections are fair and credible.

    “We want to ensure we do the right thing by having a very fair and credible exercise that will produce the best candidates.

    “Lot of things have gone wrong lately and that is what we hope to correct and hopefully we will get them right this time,” he said.

    Seven persons are currently cleared to contest for the position of President, with forms now out for sale for interested persons to purchase and vie for positions.

    The seven persons already cleared are Shehu Dikko; Amaju Pinick; Abba Yola; Amanze Uchegbulam; Taiwo Ogunjobi; Mike Umeh and Dominic Iorfa. It remains to be seen if they will be joined by any new names that will spring up.

    And it is on the basis of this that Amadu claims the focus isn’t on any particular candidate, stressing that the Glass House is ready to work with whomever wins.

    “This is not about any particular person or individual. It’s about having a fair process and we are ready to work with whoever wins. That’s the way it is,” he posited.

  • NFF protests Eaglets’ failure to land in Gabon

    NFF protests Eaglets’ failure to land in Gabon

    The Nigeria Football federation has protested to the Confederation of African Football after Gabonese officials prevented members of the Golden Eaglets from flying into Libreville to honour this weekend’s African U-17 Championship qualifiers, africanFootball.com reports.

    The Gabonese authorities disembarked the Golden Eaglets’ delegation from a Gabon –bound ASKY Airline flight having flown from their base in Calabar to Lagos and travelled by road from Lagos to Cotonou as a result of the cancellation of all Gabon –bound flights from Lagos.

    The delegation members were issued boarding passes on the ASKY Airline flight from Cotonou to Libreville, via Lome, only to be subjected to the harsh treatment after landing in the Togolese capital.

    The NFF has therefore sent a strong letter of protest to CAF over Friday’s unsavoury incident in Lome.

    The protest letter signed by NFF General Secretary, Musa Amadu, reads, “On getting to Lome, our delegation members were disembarked and their luggage brought out of the aircraft, and told that they would no longer be flown to Libreville, on the orders of Gabonese authorities.

    “We strongly protest this harsh, unkind and unfair treatment of players below the age of 17, who have had to go through this arduous and tiring journey only to further their career in football.

    “We are very much aware that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has stated clearly that football matches should not to take place in only three countries, namely Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, as a result of the Ebola Virus Disease pandemic.

    “Our players have taken serious precautions and even have Ebola–free Medical Certificates.

    “The Nigeria Football Federation is sorely disappointed by this attitude of Gabonese authorities and we implore CAF to come into this matter and determine the issue of the qualifying fixture.”

     

  • NFF shocked by Ntiero’s death

    NFF shocked by Ntiero’s death

    General Secretary of  Nigeria Football Federation(NFF), Musa Amadu has expressed deep shock over the death on Wednesday of former Super Falcons’ Head Coach, Effiom Ntiero.

    Ntiero died at a private hospital in Calabar on Wednesday after taken ill on Sunday evening.

    “The Management and staff of the NFF are still too shocked to come to terms with the report of the death of Coach Ntiero. It is saddening in extreme terms. This was a man we saw a couple of weeks ago and was in great health.

    “Coach Ntiero remained firmly a part of the family even after his national coaching duties. He was always at the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar to watch matches of the Super Eagles in the qualifying series for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and 2014 FIFA World Cup.”

    Amadu further extolled the late Ntiero,who led the Super Falcons to win the African Women Championship for the fifth time in 2006, and also led the team to the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in China.

    “He was a gentleman for all seasons. He was a man of thorough discipline and dedicated himself fully to helping the development of women’s football in the country.

  • NFF: Amadu threatened with arrest, Giwa files FIFA defence

    NFF: Amadu threatened with arrest, Giwa files FIFA defence

    The Nigeria Football Federation General Secretary, Musa Amadu, has again been threatened with arrest by security agencies if he fails to “co-operate” with the sports ministry bid to install Chris Giwa as president of the federation.

    However, Giwa has concluded plans to send his response to the World’s soccer governing body, FIFA, before Monday’s expiration of deadline given him to vacate the Glass House.

    Amadu was detained by the Directorate of State Security alongside the NFF president Aminu Maigari and the chairman of the federation’s technical committee, Chris Green, before last Tuesday’s  “kangaroo” election that produced Giwa as NFF president.

    Giwa had in a letter to FIFA said Tuesday’s elections were free and fair and as such the world football governing body should recognise him as the duly elected president of the federation, africanFootball.com reports.

    However, his defence will not be complete without the approval of Amadu, who was whisked to the congress venue by the Minister of Sports, Tamuno Danagogo.

    The factional NFF president, according to africanFootball.com, had said last Friday that his presentation will prove beyond reasonable doubt that his election received the full blessing of the 44-man congress.

    Findings however showed that only five bonafide members of the general assembly attended the meeting.

     

  • Eagles condemned to beat Iran — NFF

    Eagles condemned to beat Iran — NFF

    Secretary-General of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Barrister Musa Amadu has said the Super Eagles must beat Iran in their first group match to have any hope of progressing to the second round of the competition.

    “We must beat Iran in the first match which to me is the important match to play. A victory against Iran will pave the way for more successes in subsequent games. I am confident that the boys are capable of doing it”, he said.

    The NFF scribe also dismissed the 2-1 loss of the Eagles to the USA and hoped that the players will rise up to the occasion when the competition starts.

    “I think it is better the way it happened because if we had won all our three friendly matches we would have thought we had arrived. I am happy that it happened like this (losing 2-0 to United States of America on Saturday night). We had two draws and a loss in the three matches the team played.

    “We are not bothered by what Iran and our other opponents play. It is not the number of matches that you win going to the World Cup that will determine your performance at the World Cup.

    “There are teams that won all their friendly matches before going to the World Cup and did not last the first round of the competition.

    “We will go to Brazil with great spirit. The loss against the Americans let us know that the job is not yet done. There are lessons to be learnt in the three matches, especially the match against the USA which will help the Coach to correct the team’s lapses before we start playing the World Cup,

    “I remember Bulgaria at USA ’94, prior to the competition they lost all their tune up matches and lost their previous 13 matches and even lost 3-0 to Nigeria but ended being the third best in the world. So, the most important thing is preparations for the competition and what you have been able to do during that period.”

    Amadu also stated his belief in the Eagles’ attack. “The Eagles scored three goals in the three friendly matches and I believe this will improve when the World Cup starts”, he assured.

     

  • World Cup: Fans cautioned on high expectations

    World Cup: Fans cautioned on high expectations

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has cautioned fans to tune down their high expectations from the national team ahead of the World Cup in Brazil this summer.
    NFF General Secretary, Musa Amadu, while speaking on the expectations of the association, advised supporters not to get their hopes up too high for the global showpiece.
    Amadu, however, stated that the federation, like most Nigerians, wants the Super Eagles to surpass the previous exploits of other African countries in the competition, by going beyond the quarter-finals.

    He further informed that arrangements are in place to ensure Stephen Keshi’s men are well prepared, to ensure that they have a good outing in the competition.
    “All we are doing is to ensure that the team is prepared adequately for the tournament in Brazil and we are hopeful that the boys will give the best of representation to Nigeria because we are providing them the enabling environment to excel,” Amadu told KickOffNigeria.com.