The Nation Newspaper

Tag: nff

  • Danagogo: FIFA will not ban Nigeria

    Danagogo: FIFA will not ban Nigeria

    Nigeria’s Sports Minister and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Tammy Danagogo has expressed hope that world’s football governing body, FIFA, will not ban Nigeria as he urged them to wade into the internal wrangling in the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF).

    Danagogo expressed his confidence during a breakfast television programme, Good morning Nigeria on the Nigeria Television Authority(NTA) in Abuja yesterday.

    He said  FIFA should know that what is happening in the NFF is an internal wrangling among football stakeholders  who are angling to take control of the football house.

    “I am aware that FIFA does not ban countries over internal wrangling among stakeholders. What I expect FIFA to do is to listen to both sides in the dispute and fashion out a peaceful resolution of the crisis,” he said.

    According to the sports minister, “It is also not fair for FIFA to ban a country over the actions of individuals. If they feel that an individual has gone against their statutes, such individual should be singled out and sanctioned and not the entire country.”

    He added that he is also aware that FIFA or football federations ban some of their members for offences against the football statutes and expects that the same thing should apply in the present case of the NFF.

    “I don’t expect FIFA to ban Nigeria because we are in contact with them and have explained the position of things as they affect  the current crisis.

    “We expect that they would carefully look into the matter after listening to both sides and seek a peaceful resolution. If they say the way out is for another election to be held, we would ensure that it is done for peace to return to our football.”

    Meanwhile, Danagogo appeared before the House of Representatives committee on sports yesterday in a closed door session, after failing to appear before the committee on Monday.

  • Amadu threatened again as Giwa files FIFA defence

    Amadu threatened again as Giwa files FIFA defence

    NFF general secretary Musa Amadu, who is presently indisposed, has again been threatened with arrest by security agencies “to co-operate” as Chris Giwa insists on firing a defence to FIFA.

    Previously, Amadu has gone missing and on Tuesday was detained by the Directorate of State Security before he was taken away by Sports Minister Tammy Danagogo.

    Giwa’s defence to FIFA is that that elections on Tuesday in Abuja were free and fair and as such the world football governing body should recognise him as the duly elected president of the NFF.

    However, Giwa’s defence will not be complete without the approval of Amadu.

    Giwa said on Friday that his presentation will prove beyond reasonable doubt that his elections received the full blessing of the 44-man NFF congress.

    However, AfricanFootball.com findings that claims of a full-house at Chida Hotel hall, where Giwa was purportedly voted NFF president, are not true as only five bonafide members of the general assembly attended that meeting.

    Axed electoral committee chairman Amoni Biambo has also stated in his own presentation that Tuesday’s elections were free and fair as they adhered strictly to the guidelines.

    However, an official informed AfricanFootball.com that the documents to be presented to FIFA cannot stand proper scrutiny.

    In the meantime, under-fire Sports Minister Danagogo met with the committee on sports of the House of Representatives behind closed doors yesterday even after other major stakeholders in the latest crisis rocking Nigerian football made their presentations in public on Friday.

    Elections into the NFF executive committee are fixed for Thursday in Abuja.

  • ‘No deal yet for Keshi’

    ‘No deal yet for Keshi’

    Stephen Keshi’s representative, Emmanuel Ado, has said that there is no deal in place yet from Nigeria Football Federation for his client.

    Ado explained that the only agreement between Keshi and the Sports Minister, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, is for the coach to take charge of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Congo and South Africa on September 6 and 10 respectively.

    He said that Keshi is not just demanding an improved salary but wants a contract that will not be breached.

    Keshi also wants Nigeria to take up the payment of his assistants unlike the previous arrangement in which he had to cough up the wages of one or two of his assistants, according to Ado.

    “I was with the minister (this week), and there is no long-term agreement entered into yet with the big boss (Keshi). The only agreement is that Keshi has agreed to handle the two Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Congo and South Africa.

    “The issue about the contract talks isn’t just about the money or an improved package in terms of financials, but also other areas. For instance, there shouldn’t be a breach in contract in terms of when his salaries are due, and then the issue of his assistants being paid by his employers and not by him,” Ado told supersport.com.

    Ado, however, disclosed that discussions are still ongoing between Keshi and the NFF.

     

  • FIFA disowns new NFF board

    FIFA disowns new NFF board

    • Gives Giwa till Sept. 1 to vacate Glasshouse

    World football governing body, FIFA has refused to recognise Tuesday’s election of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) which ushered in Chris Giwa as president and members of its executive committee.

    In response, it has given the committee a September 1 deadline which expires at midnight to quit the Glasshouse or else appropriate action which could lead to another suspension will be taken.

    FIFA expressed sadness that despite the assurances, the planned general assembly that was billed to hold on Tuesday was disrupted owing to the arrest and detention of NFF President, Aminu Maigari by operatives of the state security service.

    All these, were communicated to NFF’s general secretary, Musa Amadu via mail by FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke on August 29.

    A copy of the letter was made available to the press on Friday.

    It states that “As a consequence, we will not recognise the outcome of the above mentioned elections and should there still be persons claiming to have been elected and occupying the NFF offices at midnight on Monday, September 1, 2014, we will bring the case to the appropriate FIFA body for sanctions, which may include the suspension of Nigeria.

    The general assembly was summoned to design a roadmap for the forthcoming elections billed for September 4 that has FIFA’s approval.

    Consequently, it has also frowned at the role being played by the sports ministry.

    Finally, we have learnt that the persons who claim to have been elected during the so-called ‘elective general assembly’ have come to the NFF offices claiming to be the legitimate president and members of the NFF. It also appears that the Ministry of Sports has recognised them.

    On July 18, FIFA lifted its suspension on Nigeria following the latter’s withdrawal of a court order served on the NFF board.  The direct consequence of a ban would see Nigeria forfeit its Africa Cup of Nations qualifiying matches against Congo Brazaville and South Africa next month.

  • NFF interim C’ttee releases 2014 Elections’ guidelines

    NFF interim C’ttee releases 2014 Elections’ guidelines

    The new Nigeria Football Federation Electoral Committee headed by Samson Ebomhe has released a new guideline for the September 4th, 2014 NFF elections and it is as follows:

    “In exercise of its inherent powers pursuant to Articles 20(i), 21(i) and 23(a) of NFF Statutes, 2010, the General Assembly, the supreme legislative and governing organ of the NFF, at its meeting on Tuesday 26th August, 2014 re-constituted the NFF Electoral Committee to conduct the 2014 elections into the Executive Committee of NFF.

    The General Assembly further mandated and authorized the Electoral Committee to take all steps and do all such things between August 26, 2014 and September 4, 2014 as may be necessary and required for the conduct of the 2014 elections into NFF Executive Committee.

    The General Assembly deems as proper and valid as if in due compliance with all the applicable Articles of the NFF Statutes 2010, the Electoral Guidelines, the Electoral Code and all other ancillary regulations and Standing Orders of the General Assembly, all steps taken and all things done by the NFF Electoral Committee between August 26, 2014 and September 4, 2014 for the conduct of the 2014 elections into NFF Executive Committee.

    Accordingly, NFF Electoral Committee in discharge of its mandate to ensure an elective process that is free, fair, transparent and open to all candidates, hereby, announces the following further guidelines for the conduct of the 2014 NFF Executive Committee elections:

    1.All qualified and interested candidates have the option of either downloading the requisite application forms from the Electoral Committee website, www.nffelect2014.com or, alternatively such candidates can physically obtain the forms at No. 9, Arusha Crescent, Wuse Zone 1, Abuja.

    2.Forms are available to all candidates in the options set out in “1” above until Monday September 1, 2014. However, the forms are available for download as from 12.00pm August 28, 2014.

    3.Duly completed forms are to be returned to No. 9, Arusha Crescent, Wuse Zone I, Abuja before 6.30pm on Monday, September 1, 2014.

    4.Candidates are advised to return their completed form with bank draft made to the order of NIGERIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION (NFF). Cash payments are equally acceptable. Candidates shall be issued with a receipt acknowledging payment.

    5.All candidates who previously obtained their forms but were unable to submit are eligible to participate in the 2014 NFF Executive Committee Elections on September 4, 2014. Such candidates are advised to submit their forms as advised in paragraphs 3 and 4 above.

    6.All other candidates who previously had been cleared to participate in the 2014 NFF Executive Committee Elections are eligible to participate in the elections on the basis of their previous clearance, and will not require any further or fresh clearance. It is important, however, that candidates falling in this category communicate their willingness to participate in the elections either by letter to the NFF Electoral Committee at the  addresses listed earlier in this Notice or by e-mail to info@nffelect2014.com.

  • Ondo FA boss denounces NFF election

    Ondo FA boss denounces NFF election

    One of those purported to have been elected into the new board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) headed by Ambassador Chris Giwa, Otunba Dele Ajayi, has denied participating in the election held on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The Ondo State Football Association boss, in a press statement he personally signed said it was wrong to include him among those elected into the Executive board of the NFF when he never participated in the election.

    Ajayi said as somebody who believes in the rule of law and a signatory to the FIFA status guiding all elections matters, it would be wrong for him to have participated in what clearly was an illegality.

    “While I acknowledge the fact that I have a genuine desire to serve on the NFF board with a view of contributing my quota to the development of football in Nigeria, I use this medium to state clearly that my intentions are not fueled by any desperate aspiration.

    “I hereby state that I understand the statues guiding elections into the NFF and will not in any way flout those rules or support any individual or group of persons seen to have done so.

    “I did not participate in any purported election. I am still preparing for my election which I believe will come up in September 4 2014 as proposed by the NFF and approved by FIFA,” he said.

    Ajayi who also denied sending apology for not attending the meeting Ambassador Giwa had with the Minister called for peace and pledged his loyalty to the FIFA status guiding election matters and advised the congress members to disregard any purported apology from him for not attending the meeting.

  • You shouldn’t have stayed away from Congress, Minister faults Maigari led NFF faction

    You shouldn’t have stayed away from Congress, Minister faults Maigari led NFF faction

    The Sports Minister,  Tammy Danagogo has  faulted the action of the Aminu Maigari led faction that stayed away from participating in the August 26th Congress that later turned to election that ushered in Christopher Giwa led new Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

    He argued that the feuding faction could have used their numerical strength to sway decision in their favour instead of choosing to stay away from the Congress in the first place.

    “Our greatest challenge in this whole brouhaha is that most people involved are not sincere, they are not gentlemanly enough, and they are not honourable enough. Most people are just looking at winning at all cost and that has been my greatest challenge as regards this issue.

    “We had agreed that five persons are going to contest the (NFF Presidential) election. So let the five persons contest and whoever wins, win. Agreements were reached but before the election, in fact, most of you who are journalists even know all these things before me.

    “But by the eve of the election resolutions were being passed with money and (some people) have also signed extension of tenure. That was a very, very provocative and wrong step that was being taken. That has metamorphosed into what we are seeing now. So we had to step in to stop that cause of trying to impose somebody or extending tenures. Then after stopping it people now reacted in different ways.

    “During my address I had to recap what we agreed before we came to the Congress. The unfortunate mistake is that this other group that went to meet somewhere should have been at that place (Chida Hotel Congress venue). If you notice when I was coming to the Congress place I was talking on phone, I was talking to the other group then and I was telling them that the only way for evil not to prevail is for good men to stand up to do something.

    “You will not just walk out (of the Congress) you don’t need to go and stay on the road protesting but come into the hall and address the issue the way it happened and so that all you will be able to say let us follow what we agreed on. We were expecting them to come but they didn’t come (to the venue of the Congress) until I left there. I also heard that they didn’t come until Mike (Umeh) declared the event open and I heard that they now moved a motion that the agenda was to go back to the original plan of holding election

    “Then they held the election and Umeh lost and so on and so forth. I want to imagine that after my address if the other 30 people that I heard met somewhere (in Abuja) had joined the other delegates present at the Congress venue maybe the plan to conduct the election could have failed. The way to correct a system is not to quarrel; it is not to go out and castigate, but to sit down and discuss to resolve the issue,” the Minister stated.

  • NFF crisis a serious affair — Danagogo

    NFF crisis a serious affair — Danagogo

    The Sports Minister/Chairman National Sports Commission, Dr. Tammy Danagogo yesterday affirmed that the current  crisis rocking the Nigeria Football Federation is a serious affair for all football stakeholders in the country.

    According to Dr. Danagogo, the NSC is still studying the situation and “at the appropriate time we will say something about it in order for our football to move forward.”

    He added that “Already I have started calling the parties involved in the dispute to know their grievances and find a way out of the crisis because it is not healthy for the development of our football.”

    Meanwhile the minister has called on all parties involved in the crisis to put the interest of the country and the game before their personal interests as efforts are being made to ensure that peace returns to the football house.

  • NFF: No suspension of Premier League matches

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has urged all stakeholders to discountenance a statement from the League Management Company that matches of the Nigeria Premier League are being suspended.

    “It has come to our notice that the League Management Company has been issuing notices to clubs in the Premier League that matches are being suspended from this weekend.

    “This is totally untrue. If the LMC received a notice from the Nigeria Referees Association about purported withdrawal of referees, the LMC should have brought this to the notice of the NFF and not to take a decision to suspend the League on its own,” NFF President, Ambassador Chris Giwa, said in Abuja on Thursday.

    Giwa expressed his unhappiness with the Nigeria Referees Association for the threat to withdraw referees from the Premier League, and said the NFF would not take the matter lightly.

    “As the owners of the League, the Nigeria Football Federation is hereby making it clear that Premier League matches are not being suspended. Matches scheduled for this weekend will definitely take place,” Giwa affirmed.

    The NFF has therefore called on all referees appointed for this weekend’s matches to go for their matches.

  • Giwa resumes at NFF

    Giwa resumes at NFF

    Chris Giwa has officially assumed office as President of the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) after being elected by a faction of the NFF congress on Tuesday.

    The Giwa FC proprietor arrived the Glass House in Wuse Zone 7, Abuja at around 2pm and spoke briefly to the press, before proceeding to the President’s office, where a prayer session was held.

    He was in company of other members – Felix Obuah, Obinna Ogba, Yahaya Adams, Sani Ferma and Effiong Johnson.

    Speaking on arrival, Giwa posited that the immediate focus is to get the game running as expected.

    “The first thing we want to do is to get everything together and get football running again.”

    He also said the NFF secretariat will be moved from the Glass House, which was gutted by fire last week to the new building inside the Abuja National Stadium which is called the Sunday Dankaro House.