Giwa and Others to Face NFF Disciplinary Committee
More twists and turns are playing out in the ongoing crisis engulfing Nigeria football, with the Amaju Pinnick board referring the Chris Giwa-led faction to its disciplinary committee.
The extra-ordinary congress of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) rose from their sitting in Abuja on Wednesday with the resolution that a Nigeria Premier League club owner, Chris Giwa, and other persons described as his loyalists will face the disciplinary committee for taking football matters to a civil court and for “ridiculing Nigeria”.
Apart from taking the NFF to a civil court, the congress also alleged that Giwa in court in South Africa as an NFF official.
Giwa and his group was alleged to have committed infractions such as illegally contracting a law firm in South Africa in the name of the NFF and refusing to pay for the services up to a point where judgement was given against the NFF by the South Africa Court.
The communiqué made available to the media on Wednesday read, “For bringing Nigeria football and Nigeria to ridicule, opprobrium and disrepute, and in clear contravention of the NFF statutes and other extant football laws by ;
Committing infractions such as illegally contracting a law firm in South Africa in the name of the NFF and refusing to pay for the services up to a point where judgement was given against the NFF by the South Africa court.”
“Seriously violating the statutes, regulations, directives and decisions of FIFA, CAF, WAFU, and NFF.
“The General Assembly noted the motion for suspension pursuant to Article 37(1) but in the spirit of Article 37 (3) of the NFF statutes and in the interest of fair hearing, the following persons were referred to the NFF Disciplinary Board: Chris Giwa, Yahaya Adama, Muazu Suleyman, Sani Fema and Effiong Johnson to appear and defend themselves.”
The Congress also reversed a decision they took in December which excluded the stakeholders from vying for elective offices unless they had previously been on the NFF executive committee or congress are currently occupying such positions.
The Minister of Youth and Sport, Solomon Dalung, said at the congress he had not received any court order nullifying Amaju Pinnick’s NFF presidency.
He said, “As a lawyer and a Minister of Sports, till today I have not received any court order.”
