Tag: NFF congress

  • S’South NFF Congress okays Falode for Women’s League

    S’South NFF Congress okays Falode for Women’s League

    • Passes vote of confidence on NFF leadership

    It was back-slapping galore last Friday in Port Harcourt as the South South Congress of the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) met to address pressing football issues ahead of elections into some arms of the football fraternity in the country.

    The meeting, which was held at Aldgate Hotel, Perekule Street, GRA Phase 2 in the Garden City, had all the Chairmen and Secretaries, including other stakeholders of the South South football community in attendance. It was convened by the Rivers FA boss and Chairman of two NFF Sub-committees,  Christopher Green. He is also an Executive Committee member of the NFF.

    After robust discussion of members from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and River states, the congress unanimously agreed that first rate women’s sportscaster and football administrator, Aisha Falode, be adopted as the zone’s candidate for the forthcoming Nigerian Women’s League election.

    The communiqué described Falode as not only passionate and knowledgeable about the game, with cognate international experience, they also believed she has the capacity to help revive the dwindling fortunes of women football in the country by attracting sponsorship for the game, instead of the present situation that has seen complaints being hauled at the NFF leadership for not providing money for the women’s game in the country.

    The South South NFF Congress urged other geo-political zones to join it in reviving the women’s game in the country. “We are sure our brothers and sisters from other zones will join hands with us to give a new direction to Women’s Football in the country as it has suffered in recent times.”

    The congress also passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of the NFF, saying under Amaju Pinnick, it has done well through victories at the U-17 World Cup, qualification for various tournaments including the Women’s U-17 World Cup and the Super Eagles’ continued battle to make it to the next World Cup in Russia and the upcoming Afcon Championship in Gabon.

  • Giwa warns against NFF congress

    Giwa warns against NFF congress

    The factional president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Chris Giwa, has restated his warning against an elective congress on Thursday in Abuja, insisting the elections had already taken place with him emerging as president of the federation.

    “It has come to the notice of the Nigeria Football Federation that some persons are spreading information to the effect that there is a Congress of NFF taking place on Thursday, 4th September, 2014. This is absolutely untrue,” africanFootball.com quoted Giwa as saying in a statement issued by NFF spokesman Ademola Olajire.

    “If there would be any NFF Congress of any nature, the notice for such would come from the NFF Secretariat. I am aware the NFF Secretariat has not issued such notice.”

    Giwa also dismissed reports that officials from world football governing body FIFA and the Confederation of African Football would be in Nigeria to witness the Congress.

    “There are no persons coming from FIFA or CAF, and there is no elective Congress because the elections had already been conducted,” he said.

    “This is to advise all the chairmen and secretaries of the State Football Associations and those of NFF’s affiliate bodies to disregard the notice.

    “We also urge the general public not to go anywhere near the venue of the gathering.”

     

  • Maigari, Green released

    Maigari, Green released

    The detained Nigeria Football Federation president, Aminu Maigari, was released on Wednesday along with fellow executive committee member, Chris Green, an aide told africanFootball.com

    “Maigari has been released by the security operatives. He was released in the morning by the special anti-robbery squad after he was handed to them by the Directorate of State Security Service.

    “No charges were pressed against him, neither was he or Green questioned on anything. It was clearly to prevent them from attending the Tuesday general assembly, which FIFA insisted should be presided by Maigari,” an aide of the NFF boss told africanFootball.com.

    It was also gathered that the NFF president was detained on orders of the controversial former Rivers State police commissioner, Joseph Mbu, who is now an Assistant Inspector General of Police.

    Incidentally, Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo, who was a former commissioner in Rivers State, personally came to the DSS office on Tuesday to pick the General Secretary, Musa Amadu, for what later was termed “an elective congress,” which produced Chris Giwa as new NFF president.

    Giwa moved into the NFF office Wednesday morning and thereafter addressed some staff, assuring them of improved welfare in his tenure as NFF president.

    FIFA is expected to rule on the unfolding drama in Nigeria soon.

  • Uncertainty surrounds NFF congress

    Uncertainty surrounds NFF congress

    It is clear on Tuesday afternoon that the much publicized Nigeria Football Federation congress slated for Chida Hotel, Abuja, will no longer hold following the arrest of NFF president, Aminu Maigari and two other principal officials of the federation by operatives of the State Security Service.

    Maigari’s loyalists who had earlier clashed with loyalists of Sports Minister, Tamuno Danagogo and NFF vice president, Mike Umeh, at the hotel, were detained for demanding the release of Maigari and Chris Green, the NFF technical committee chairman.

    The Secretary of Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria, Comrade Austin Popo, who spoke to our correspondent on telephone, said the congress member were detained for asking for the NFF officials’ release.

    “They told us that we have no business in their office. The SSS operatives insisted that since they don’t have business at Chida Hotel, they will remain in their office, pending when they decided to go back to the hotel for the congress without Maigari and Green,” Popo said.

  • SSS quizzes Maigari, two others

    SSS quizzes Maigari, two others

    … FA chairmen rally for embattled NFF chief

    The State Security Service on Tuesday quizzed the president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Aminu Maigari and two other principal officials of the federation.

    The other affected officials are – the NFF General Secretary, Musa Amadu, and the Chairman of the federation’s technical committee, Chris Green.

    Maigari is expected to preside over the NFF general assembly slated for Tuesday, africanFootball.com reports.

    Meanwhile, no less than 35 states Football Association chairmen defied threats by security operatives and marched to the SSS office in solidarity with Maigari.

    “The FA chairmen refused to be cowed despite threat by heavily armed policemen that they will shoot them down if they leave the premises of the Chida hotel, Abuja,” an eyewitness told africanFootball.com.

    “They left for the SSS office and had made it clear that Maigari will preside over Tuesday’s congress despite this open intimidation.”

    World football governing body, FIFA, has already stated Maigari will lead the NFF congress.

    This latest development comes few hours after the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim had resolved that a non-elective congress takes place in Abuja on Tuesday.

    The congress is expected to design a road map for elections into the NFF executive committee.