The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NFF crisis

  • Nigeria risk ban over NFF crisis – Infantino

    FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, said on Friday Nigeria may be banned from all international competitions following the renewal of leadership crisis in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

    The Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, had two weeks ago directed the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF Executive Committee to leave office following a Supreme Court’s verdict which ordered the re-listing of the case at the Federal High Court in Jos.

    Pinnick and Chris Giwa are key figures in the leadership crisis in the NFF.

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    Infantino spoke at Friday’s conference in Moscow, Russia, where he reviewed events at the ongoing 2018 FIFA World Cup in the Eastern European nation.

    He said: ‘‘The situation is very clear. We have statutes that there can be no interference in the running of an association. Amaji Pinnick is the president recognized by FIFA. He is the president elected by members of the NFF. And that is the end of the story. If any external body thinks they can change the situation, then of course Nigeria will risk being banned as it has happened with other countries because we have processes that need to be respected.

    “It is a very clear cut and simple case as far as we are concerned. We have made this very clear.

    “Maybe you can help us transmit it if we didn’t come across very clear enough.”

    It remains to be seen if the government will heed FIFA’s warning by rescinding its decision on the matter or wait until the body bans the country from all its competitions.

  • NFF: I don’t want to go prison for contempt of court – Dalung

    The Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung said on Friday he would prefer to keep his reputation intact in the crisis bedeviling the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

    The minister said he complied with the Supreme Court judgment in the matter in order not be jailed for contempt of court.

    Dalung spoke in Asaba, Asaba, while inspecting the ongoing construction work at the Stephen Keshi Stadium venue of the 2018 African Senior Athletics Championship (ASAC).

    The minister said Chris Giwa and Amaju Pinnick tussle for the top NFF post had rocked the peace in the sports community.

    There is resurgence of crisis in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in recent time and I think it is important that Nigerians are informed about this crisis,” he said.

    Dalung said he believed both parties have learnt the hard way from the recent Supreme Court judgment, adding that the way forward was for the feuding parties to shift ground and allow peace rein.

    He said the Federal Government did not interfere in the dispute but was dragged into it by the feuding parties.

    He said: “For us as government, we have basically just complied with the order of court and let us not forget that government is limited from interfering with the domestic affairs of football. And both parties dragged government into this matter, so, government is just a victim and not even when people argued that FIFA will ban the country.”

     

  • NFF Crisis: Court adjourns hearing till July 10

    A Jos Federal High Court on Wednesday, fixed July 10 to hear a new motion filed by embattled NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, challenging the exparte order it granted Chris Giwa, current President of the federation.

    Pinnick has approached the court for the relief after the Supreme Court judgment which ordered him to comply with the lower court’s order that compelled him to vacate the office for Giwa.

    Justice Musa Kurya, the Presiding Judge in the case between Yahaya Adama and Alhaji Aminu Maigari had, on June 5, made an exparte order asking Pinnick’s NFF leadership to vacate the Glass House for the Giwa-led executive.

    But Pinnick, through his counsel, Festus Keyamo (SAN), stormed the court with two motions demanding for the vacation of the order granted Giwa and others, pending the determination of an application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case.

    Though the case was heard in the chamber, the two counsels in the matter spoke to newsmen shortly after.

    Mr Festus Ukpe, who stood in for Keyamo, explained:  “ We came to court to challenge the order which the court gave to Giwa led Exco.

    “Our aim or intention was to move our two motions, but the counsel to Adama and Ogba, Mr Habila Ardzard, opposed it on the ground that they only got possession of the motions today (Wednesday).

    “We told the judge that there was need for the court to hear these motions because of our fear of what Giwa will do in these few days that he claims he has power over Glass House.

    “That is why we argued that there was the need for the judge to vacate his order since we were not given fair hearing in the matter, which we are not a party to but for our interest.’’

    Ukpe said that after both sides made their submissions, the judge ruled and fixed July 10 for the hearing of the motions because of the urgency.

    Also, Ardzard said he had to oppose Pinnick from moving the motions “because by law, we are entitled to seven days within which we could study the motion and reply from the date of its receipt.

    “We were only asked to come to court today and when we came we were told that there were two motions which pinnick’s counsel intended to move today (Wednesday).

    “Of course, we had to oppose it and the court finally ruled in our favour and therefore, fixed July 10 for the hearing of the motions’’.

    Nonetheless, the order granted Giwa subsists until Tuesday, July 10 when the motions would be heard on their merit.

  • NFF crisis: Jos court sentences Dikko to 14 days imprisonment

    NFF crisis: Jos court sentences Dikko to 14 days imprisonment

    Justice II Kunda of  Plateau State High Court Sitting in Bukuru has indicted the League Management Committee Chairman (LMC) Shehu Dikko to 14 days imprisonment for disobeying court order.

    The judge also issued a warrant of arrest on Shehu Dikko, for disobeying its order and absenting himself from the court sitting.

    The court has been presiding over the case instituted by Giwa Football Club (Giwa FC) who is one of the 20 clubs in Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) participating in the 2015/2016 Nigeria Premier League.

    Proprietor of Giwa Football Club, Ambassador Chris Giwa had dragged NPFL and LMC before the State High Court to address the suspension of his club from participating in the ongoing premiership league tournament.

    In one of the sittings of the court over the suit in Bukuru Jos yesterday, the court ordered that LMC chairman Shehu Dikko and chief Operation officer Salisu Abubakar be committed to Jos Federal Prison for 14 days.

    The Presiding judge, Justice Kunda in his ruling said, “The LMC officials be committed to Jos Federal Prison immediately until they obey the court order.

    In the previous sitting of the court in August, the court order immediate suspension of the ongoing professional league until Giwa FC is restored to the league.

    The LMC, however, ignored the court order and went ahead with the league without recalling Giwa FC.

    Hence, in the court sitting yesterday, the court ordered immediate arrest of the LMC officials and be committed to prison until its orders are obeyed.

    Hon. Justice Kunda said the order remain valid.

  • NFF crisis: Supreme Court begins hearing on Giwa’s suit September 9

    NFF crisis: Supreme Court begins hearing on Giwa’s suit September 9

    The president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, on Tuesday disclosed that a case instituted against the federation by Chris Giwa will begin on September 9 at the Supreme Court.

    Giwa has been locked in a tussle for the NFF leadership since 2014, africanFootball.com reports.

    The chairman of Giwa Football Club has argued he was duly elected NFF president in August 2014 and his election should be upheld based on the laws of the land.

    His case at the Appeal Court was thrown out and he has now taken the matter to the country’s highest court.

    “We have been served, we have a case on September 9, just three weeks before a big World Cup qualifier in Zambia and anything can happen,” africanFootball.com quoted Pinnick as saying in a YouTube interview.

    The NFF president lamented that the instability in the country football polity has affected quest by the federation to attract private sector sponsorship.

    “It’s almost impossible to thrive under instability,” he complained.

    “This is purely destructive. For some people, if we cannot get it, let us destroy it.”

  • Why NFF crisis has persisted – Minister

    Why NFF crisis has persisted – Minister

    The Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, has said the leadership crisis in the country’s football has persisted because “there is more money in the game than in the oil industry.”

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has been embroiled in a leadership tussle since elections into the federation’s executive committee in 2014.

    Dalung has now traced the NFF crisis to the money in the game.

    “There’s more cash in football than in the oil sector and there is so much selfish interests and as a result we have this crisis,” africaFootball.com quoted Dalung as saying on a Hausa interview programme broadcast by Freedom Radio Kano Tuesday morning.

    “There is someone who wants to force his way as the NFF president and that is why I have had to order full police presence at the NFF secretariat, if not work will not be going on there.”

    Dalung also spoke on a committee put in place to chart a fresh path for the country’s football and headed by former NFF president, Ibrahim Galadima, saying he has been encouraged by FIFA officials to implement the recommendations of the panel.

    “FIFA officials have told me that members of this committee are straightforward and trust worthy. They have finished their work and will soon submit it to me and I hope to work with their recommendations because they will move our football forward,” the minister stated.

  • Reps urge Pinnick, Giwa to resolve crisis amicably

    Reps urge Pinnick, Giwa to resolve crisis amicably

    The House of Representatives on Thursday urged the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick and his challenger, Chris Giwa, to reach a compromise on the lingering leadership crisis rocking the country football.

    Both factions appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Sports on Thursday.

    The resolutions reached  at the meeting have not been made public  because both men met the committee behind closed doors.

    But there were speculations that Pinnick and Giwa have agreed to resolve  the matter amicably.

    The Chairman of the committee, Goni Bukar, confirmed that the meeting will continue next Tuesday at the House chambers, where the duo are expected to reach a compromise.

    “What was discussed was not made public as only Giwa, Pinnick and the committee sat and discussed at the meeting. But they have been advised to collaborate and are expected to reach a compromise next week,” a National Assembly source told africanFootball.com.

     

  • Giwa arrested at NFF headquarters

    Giwa arrested at NFF headquarters

    The contest for the leadership of the Nigerian football Federation (NFF) continued on Friday as Amb. Chris Giwa and his faction took over the federation’s headquarters in Abuja.

    This happened after a bailiff had served a court judgment from the Federal High Court Jos on the NFF general secretary, Goal reports.

    Giwa walked into the Zone 7 premises of the NFF at about 4:00pm despite the presence of a police van placed there to keep him and his faction out of the building.

    He spent about 30 minutes in the building and granted interviews to journalists as well as trying to take charge of administrative duties before a detachment of policemen asked him to leave the premises.

    He was escorted by policemen who led him to the Divisional Headquarters, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja.

     

  • 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.

     

  • ‘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.