Nigeria: Minister Resolves NFF, Stakeholders’ Rift

Leadership (Abuja)

Salifu Usman

22 July 2011

The board of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Jarret Tenebe led stakeholders group, rose from a meeting yesterday in Abuja with the new minister of sports and chairman National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman, agreed to sheath their sword so as to give room for peace and tranquility in the football industry in the interest of the round leather game and the nation.

Briefing newsmen shortly after the meeting, minister of sports, Yusuf Suleiman, said the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and other stakeholders in the football sector both accepted to work together and promote football at all levels in line with international best practice and return the nation’s football to its rightful position.

He stated that both parties are passionate about football development in the country. “I am glad to tell you that during the course of meeting with the two groups, it was clear to me that, it is the passion, love and commitment to the game that made both of them take different courses. “At the end, we all agreed that what they are yearning or aiming for is the development of the game.

“I feel very honoured by the manner each of them attended to us and spoke to us. I am also very encouraged that the task of developing football requires all of us to work together and I want to appeal to the sporting media to join hands with us as partners in progress to promote the game of football,” he said.

In a communiqué issued and read out by the leader of the stakeholders group, Jarret Tenebe, all aggrieved parities in the lingering crisis rocking the country football sector, agreed to withdraw any pending legal matter in court and refrain from taking football matters to court and directed the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to as a matter of urgency, put machineries in motion to reconcile the Nigeria players union in the interest and welfare of the footballers.

The meeting also stated that there is urgent need to reform the country’s football administration and resolved to start the process by constituting a committee that will be made up of Nigerians of high standing in the society in which NFF and the Jarret Tenebe led group shall nominate one representative each.

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