Orkula Shaagee
20 May 2011
The crisis surrounding the nation’s football sector reached a climax yesterday, as a group of stakeholders yesterday announced the setting up of parallel body by the name Nigeria Football Association (NFA).
The body also yesterday afternoon formally released the names of its eight member interim board with four ex-internationals and four members.
According to a press statement by the facilitator of the stakeholders, Mr. Harrison Jalla, the eight members of the interim board includes Mr. Jarret Tenebe as the Interim Chairman, former Gombe State FA Chairman Ahmed Gara-Gombe is the 1st Vice Chairman, while former Green Eagles goalkeeper, Emmanuel Okala (MON) was named the 2nd Vice Chairman.
Others also on the board are former Super Eagles central defender Chikelue Iloenyosi Member; Chief Samson Akiga was named as a member, Sani Usman was also named as a members.
Two ex-national team players, Tajudeen Disu and Dr. Felix Owolabi were named as members. According to the release, the interim board shall be formally presented to the media on Saturday the 21st of May in Abuja.
Speaking on the issue in a chat with Trustsports yesterday, the board’s Vice Chairman Ahmed Gara Gombe said their decision to come up with the body was informed by the fact that there is no existing body to run football in the country, since FIFA does not allow for vacuum.
He noted that the Nigeria Football Federation is an illegal body that can no longer preside over the affairs of the nation’s football.
Consequently, Gombe, urged the National Assembly to stop allocating funds to the Nigeria Football Federation in the name of the Nigeria Football Association to fund football activities in the programme in the country.
“As it is, there is no institution to run football in Nigeria today. The NFA Act 2004 amended as Decree 101 is the only one recognized by the law to run football, in this country. But surprisingly, the Federation’s lawyer recently during a court case by National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) said there was no basis for including it in the case because it is the NFF and not NFA.
“But as I am talking to you, the National Assembly has not made any such law recognizing the Nigeria Football Federation. Therefore, it is illegal for anyone to be collecting money in the name of the NFA; so we want that money to be given to us to run football for Nigeria, since FIFA does not allow for vacuum”, Gombe stated.
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