The Nation Newspaper

Tag: nff

  • 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 CRISIS FALLOUT: Broke NFF can’t pay Falcons’ hotel bills

    NFF CRISIS FALLOUT: Broke NFF can’t pay Falcons’ hotel bills

    • Glass House barely able to feed players

    • Referees owed

    The crisis bedeviling football in Nigeria has now eaten deep into the finances of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and is affecting payment of the football house bills, NationSport has scooped.

    The recent power tussle at the Glass House has made it difficult for the federation’s leaders to access funds directly and independently from a variety of sources like they used to in the past and this has resulted in the NFF being unable to honour its financial commitments.

    “It hurts me that there is no money to manage the programmes of the federation now and people are busy doing politics,” an NFF official lamented to NationSport.

    The source continued: “As it is now the federation is finding it difficult to pay workers’ salaries and owes a lot of people including the hotel where the Super Falcons, who are currently in camp preparing for the African Women’s championship (AWC), are lodged.”

    “We are just managing to see that those girls feed, even the hotel where they are lodged, we owe them a lot but they are still indulging us because of the long-term relationship we have had with them. Even the referees, we owe them a lot of money.”

    The federation has made a lot of financial commitments which may soon expose this secret of how bankrupt the NFF is.

    “Imagine that we could take a match to Gabon where it will be easy for us, but look at the kind of embarrassment that followed it”, the source lamented.

  • 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 Elections to hold September 30

    NFF Elections to hold September 30

    The elections into the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) will now hold on September 30 in Warri, Delta State.

    The date was confirmed in a circular sent out on Wednesday by General Secretary of the NFF, Musa Amadu, to stakeholders, following his return to office on Monday.

    In the letter, Amadu confirmed the agreement of the  Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, to host the congress.

    The first extra-ordinary General Assembly, that will be convened to elect members of the NFF Electoral Committee, and the NFF Electoral Appeals Committee, will be held on September 20.

     

  • Cleaning the mess in Glass House  

    SIR: The imbroglio that engulfed the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) after the national team’s poor outing at the last World Cup appears to be assuming an embarrassing magnitude that should no longer be allowed to continue. Before now, there have been litigations, court injunctions, dissolution of the federation board, suspension by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the ouster of Aminu Maigari as the NFF President.

    Rather than take stock, learn from our performance and plan ahead, our football administrators are engrossed in power tussle while little attention is being accorded effective football administration in the country.

    The NFF crisis has taken much toll on our volatile football administration as virtually all the tiers of the league are being suspended at a critical period when our national team, the Super Eagles, has only just begun its title defence for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations. Currently, the nation’s football league comprising the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) also known as the Glo Premier League, the Nigeria Nation Wide League (NNWL), Nigeria Women’s League and the Nigeria National League (NNL), have also suspended their activities indefinitely as a result of referees’ boycott.

    The Ministry of Sports, under Dr. Tammy Danagogo appears to be incapable of overseeing the operations of NFF effectively. Rather, it has deployed overbearing and divide-and-rule tactics that have been counter-productive. While the Maigari group is enjoying the goodwill of FIFA, the Chris Giwa team on the other hand has the backing of the Nigerian government. It is expected that with the series and grievous allegations leveled against the body, the ministry should have demanded accountability from the NFF. But whenever this happens, the impression that is given is that FIFA would sanction the nation because of government intervention. Up till now, the inferno at the NFF secretariat in Abuja is yet to be investigated, especially in the face of information that the fire extinguishers at the secretariat expired since 2012 without any attempt to replace them.

    The on-going stalemate is nothing but a clear manifestation of the absence of the genuine passion for service by those that are benefitting from the situation and would rather prefer that the status quo ante be maintained.

    What the nation neds now is a sound administrative structure where those saddled with responsibility would consider national interest foremost; instead of leaving the game to a few vested interests that appear to be after their private pockets. From what we have seen so far, we can safely say that those involved in football administration in Nigeria have no real interest in developing the game. This could be due to the ‘free’ money that comes from the government that makes the NFF secretariat the toast of politicians. Unfortunately, we have failed to tap into the immense opportunities in the football business for national development.

    We cannot afford to be banned again by FIFA. This should be the ultimate concern of our football administrators. They should stop throwing stones in the Glass House!

     

    • Adewale Kupoluyi

    Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta

  • NFF staffers vow to lock Giwa out

    NFF staffers vow to lock Giwa out

    Chris Giwa may be locked out of  the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) glasshouse office if he tries to defy FIFA’s order and force himself into the premises today.

    This is because worried staffers of the federation are prepared to take their destinies into their hands by ensuring that Giwa who has been parading himself as NFF president does not gain entry into the office.

    Last Wednesday, FIFA in  a strongly worded letter signed by General Secretary, Jerome Valke gave Giwa up till this morning to vacate the office of NFF president or Nigeria will be banned from international football.

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has already warned on its website that if FIFA hammer falls on Nigeria,the Super Eagles will be automatically disqualified from the 2015 AFCON qualifiers.

    SportingLife learnt that the NFF staffers, who are apparently apprehensive that they could end up in the labour market if Nigerian national teams are stopped from participating in competitions have vowed to carry out their plans of locking the office as a last minute effort to save their families from hunger.

    “This is our only means of livelihood and we will not allow anybody to deprive us of our source of income”One staffer told SportingLife on condition of anonymity.

    “How are we going to feed our families if Nigeria is banned because it could force the management to downsize the workforce if there is not work to be done.”

     

  • Giwa takes case to CAS

    Giwa takes case to CAS

    The self-acclaimed president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Chris Giwa, has taken his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, africanFootball.com reports.

    In a notice of appeal, he is asking CAS to order FIFA not to ban Nigeria  until the appeal against the non-recognition of his “election” by FIFA is heard.

    However, CAS is yet to reply to this notice.

    Giwa’s last-ditch effort, africanFootball.com gathered, will hit the rocks as FIFA has the right to intervene in the electoral process of  its members.

    The world soccer governing body had earlier in the week warned that if Giwa and other purportedly elected officials of the NFF fail to vacate the Glass House by Monday, Nigeria will be suspended from international football.

     

  • NFF Congress holds in Abuja today

    NFF Congress holds in Abuja today

    The Aminu Maigari-led faction of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has concluded plans to hold a General Assembly in a yet to be publicised venue in Abuja today.

    This decision which was arrived at last night was backed by the chairman of the Federal House of Representatives’ committee on sports, Godfrey Gaiya.

    Gaiya, a participant at last night’s meeting, declared his personal support for a peacefully and legally constituted Congress today.

    NationSport was at the group’s pre-General Assembly meeting held at Bentley Hotels, Utako, yesterday night.

    The participants at the well-attended gathering of football associations’ chairmen comprising the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, were unanimous in their decision to hold the Congress today.

    The meeting which was co-moderated by Ekiti State FA Chairman, Isaac Ayodele and Abia State FA boss, Ephraim Chukwuemeka first made a roll call of the States FAs representatives. This was greeted with a loud ovation.

    Ayodele, who requested for protection from the House of Representatives for participants of the Congress fixed for today, read out FIFA’s letter that stated that the embattled Chris Giwa-led NFF should vacate office and a new election should be conducted latest Monday, September 8, 2014 which was greeted again by loud cheers.

    Speaking after the meeting, the chairman of the House of Representatives committee on sports, Gaiya, said although he supported the legal gathering and the Congress, he would still have to make the House’s position known in a statement to be issued by 11am today.

    Afterwards another football stakeholder told NationSport that he was sure that “the crisis would be finally resolved tomorrow (today) and I believe that a proper election that will usher in the popular choice of football stakeholders will be held.”

  • NFF crisis: Nigeria gets FIFA’s September 8 deadline

    NFF crisis: Nigeria gets FIFA’s September 8 deadline

    The world football governing body, FIFA, has given a September 8 deadline for the Nigeria Football Federation to resolve its crisis or be suspended from international football.

    FIFA in a letter sent to the NFF on Wednesday said Nigeria would be suspended with immediate effect if the factional president of the federation, Chris Giwa and other purportedly elected officials of the body refuse to vacate the Glass House at the expiration of the deadline.

    The statement reads:  “Following the decision by the FIFA Emergency Committee, FIFA has today, September 3, 2014, sent a letter to the Nigeria Football Federation confirming that the NFF will be suspended with immediate effect should there still be persons claiming to have been elected to NFF positions on August 26, 2014 and occupying their offices on Monday, September 8, 2014 at 08.00 (Central European Time).

    “The decision follows events linked to the NFF general assembly held on August 26, 2014. While the said general assembly was duly convened by the NFF Executive Committee to adopt a new roadmap leading to the NFF elections, some members proceeded to hold elections in the absence of the NFF President, who was arrested by security forces for questioning.

    “In a letter sent on August 29, 2014, FIFA confirmed that it would not recognise the results of the aforementioned elections and that the matter would be brought to the respective FIFA bodies should there still be persons claiming to have been elected and occupying the NFF offices at midnight on September 1, 2014. On expiry of the deadline, some people were still claiming to have been elected and were occupying the NFF premises.”

  • Congo quiet over arrival date

    • Fails to communicate with NFF

    Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) head of technical,  Emmanuel Ikpeme, has said that the Congo Football Association has yet to communicate their arrival date to the federation ahead of this weekend’s Africa Cup of Nation qualifying match.

    The Super Eagles are billed to play Congo on Saturday at the U.J. Esuene Stadium,Calabar.But Ikpeme exclusively told Sportinglife that the Congolese are keeping their arrival date to themselves.

    He said that NFF are ready to host their opponents as soon as they communicate to them.

    “They (Congo) have not reached us about their arrival date.We are still expecting to hear from them. It is for their own interest to reach out to us at the appropriate time,” Ikpeme told SportingLife.

    Corroborating Ikpem’s statement, NFF media officer, Ademola Olajire said: “As at this morning (Tuesday) we have not heard anything from them.We are still waiting for the information from Congo officials,” Olajire told SportingLife.

    Congo had earlier written a letter to Confederation of African Football (CAF)asking for a relocation of the September 6th AFCON qualifier with the Super Eagles from Calabar,Cross River State due to Ebola virus outbreak.

    CAF rejected the request, insisting that the match will go ahead as expected in Calabar on Saturday.

    Congo booked their spot in the qualifiers of the continental showpiece after Rwanda was barred from taking part for fielding ineligible striker Dady Birori.