Nigeria: NFFF/NFA Crises – Ekeji Insists on Due Process

Daily Independent (Lagos)

Tony Ezimakor

20 June 2011

Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Patrick Ekeji has reaffirmed commitment to ensuring that peace returns to football but maintained that he will stick rigidly to due process in resolving crisis currently rocking Nigerian football.

Ekeji at the weekend while receiving the report of the Sani Toro -led Football Stakeholders elders’ forum which had turns with the two claimants to the soul of Nigeria football.

Whereas Aminu Maigari led board insists it is recognized by both the NFF congress and world football ruling body FIFA, the group which claim it is NFA and led by Jarret Tenebe and Harrison Jalla of the National Association of Nigerian Footballers said the NFF is illegal by virtue of court ruling nullifying the election. It also claimed that by its deposition of a really damning affidavit in a Lagos Federal High Court, it has lost its claim as an agency that recognized by the laws of the land.

In effect both bodies are laying claim to the legitimacy of administration of football in the country.

Receiving the report, Ekeji said that it is time for genuine football stakeholders come together and find lasting solution to the lingering crisis. He maintained that whereas the nation will respect the regulations of the international bodies it is affiliated to, but that it must at the same time accord due respect to all enabling laws of the country.

“We are determined to resolve this problem once and for all but we must follow due process.; I have sought the advice of the Solicitor General of the federation and he has advised us on what to do in line with the affidavit which the NFF swore that they are now a private organization.

“The question is, did the NFF deposed the said affidavit? All concerned about the state of our football must be patient to be guided by the rules of the international bodies we are affiliated with, but we must not take any action that the NSC would be blamed at the end of the day, certainly we will take the necessary steps to achieve a permanent solution to the crisis.”

Earlier the leader of the group and former Secretary General of the NFA, Alhaji Ahmed Sani Toro had lauded Ekeji for his timely intervention which he save the country from another embarrassing FIFA ban.

Toro explained that after a careful examination of the situation, the members of the NFF board realized their mistakes and pledged to put things right so that the game will improve.

Continuing, Toro said the group led by Jarret Tenebe also demonstrated interest in the growth of Nigerian football adding that they have even petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the Aminu Maigari led board for alleged financial fraud since they now claimed to be a private organization.

Toro also told Dr. Ekeji that they looked into the statutes of both CAF and FIFA for guidance before coming up with their report.

“It is our candid advice that the NSC led a delegation to FIFA as soon as possible and to take immediate actions for the interest of game in Nigeria”, stressed Toro.

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