The Moment (London)
Oladipo Okubanjo
28 December 2011
PRESIDENT of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has apologised to football followers over the country’s underachieving performance in the various theatres of football.
Aminu Maigari’s apology came ahead of today’s Annual General Assembly (AGA) of the football federation in Kaduna, the Kaduna State capital.
The AGA, which features a Congress of delegates from across the nation, comes a little more than one year since the Maigari-led NFF Executive Committee assumed office.
It also holds amid widespread discontent over the inability of any Nigerian team to win any silverware in the outgoing year and failure of different categories of the National team to qualify for some major international competitions due to begin next year.
In an interview with The Moment yesterday, Maigari said the nation’s football leadership regretted the inability of the national teams to reciprocate ‘unprecedented efforts’ by the NFF to ensure that set objectives were achieved.
‘We realise how Nigerians feel and I must let you know that we share their feelings,’ said Maigari.
‘Once again I apologise for whatever disappointment this (failure of national teams) has caused the Nigerian people.
‘And I assure you we are going to address all the problems because we want to make sure things change for the positive beginning from next year.
‘The purpose of our meeting here (Kaduna) is how to review all that has happened and move forward from there.’
Earlier, spokesman to the NFF, Ademola Olajire, said in a statement that delegates to the 67th Annual General Assembly of the Nigeria Football Federation had already arrived the Royal Tropicana Suites, venue of the event in Kaduna.
‘Members of the NFF Executive Committee, led by the president, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, arrived ahead of the FA Chairmen and Secretaries,’ said Olajire.
On the issue of security that had in the past few days dogged the AGA, Maigari said: ‘We are happy to be here in Kaduna for this our Annual General Assembly.
‘The government and good people of Kaduna State have welcomed us very well and we have faith that we are safe and secure in this town.
‘We are also looking forward to the General Assembly. It is going to be very serious business.’
Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Dr. Patrick Ekeji will deliver the address of the Minister of Sports and Chairman of the NSC, Alhaji Bolaji Abdullahi, who is away in the United Kingdom.
League champions, Dolphins of Port Harcourt will face Federation Cup winners, Heartland of Owerri in the Super Cup match after the NFF Congress at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna.
The Super Cup event is the traditional season opener in Nigerian football league.
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