NFA, NFF litigations and FIFA threat...Again, Nigerian football hangs on the cliff
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- Category: Sports
- Written by Orkula Shaagee
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The Nigeria football industry has never known peace since the separation of the apex football league from the Nigeria Football Federation, the nation’s football governing body, and as at today, more than 20 cases are pending in various courts regarding name change, elections and many others, including the one over missing money in the NFF secretariat. After two months of relative peace enjoyed by stakeholders, another salvo was fired last Friday, in the shape of a court ruling which ignited fire with threat to consume the country’s entire football system. SHOT! recaps this and look at the loop holes and the way out...
Before last week Friday, there was relative peace in the nation’s football sector, but late that day the Nigerian football industry was thrown into another round of crisis once again when a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja declared both the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) are illegal bodies.
The judgment delivered by Justice Donatus Okorowo in the case brought before him by the former Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, says the existence of the two organizations is not known to the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The former President of the NRA instituted the case in March 2010 challenging his disqualification to run for the NPL election, which Davidson Owumi won.
As expected, the judgment has generated a lot on reactions and commentaries from stakeholders, including world football governing body, FIFA, which such action would amount interference and subsequent sanctions.
Also, a day after the judgment, one of the parties who has been fighting the Federation for ‘illegal change of name’, Mr. Jarret Tenebe announced on a Channels Television programme that he would take over the NFF secretariat last Thursday.
Before then, he gave Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi up to till Thursday to constitute an interim board for the association in order to avoid vacuum, failure of which he said he would take over the Glass House secretariat.
But before the appointed day, the leadership of the NFF, led by its President Aminu Maigari filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal Abuja challenging the Federal High Court declaration that the bodies were not properly incorporated.
He added that with the judgment, world football ruling body, FIFA is bound to respect his group, which is recognized by the Nigerian laws.
In another reaction, a member of the Nigeria Football Executive Committee, Effiong Johnson apparently angered by the development, threatened to challenge the legality of the National Sports Commission in the court, claiming the leadership of the Commission is behind the NFF’s predicament.
According to him, “those in the Commission are doing everything possible to discredit us in the eyes of all Nigerians.
“Why is it that it is only when we have any important qualifier at hand that this issue would crop up? I want to tell Nigerians that it is the NSC that does not want our football to move forward. I am going to court in Uyo to challenge the legality of the NSC also. An illegal body cannot be calling one illegal”.
Another stakeholder and FCT Football Association Chairman, Musa Talle described the judgment as a ploy by external forces to derail all the programs of the Federation in the year.
FIFA said in reaction that “In addition and according to article 13 par. 1( d) of the FIFA Statues, the FIFA member associations have to ensure that their own members comply with FIFA Statues. Therefore any individual or body belonging to the Nigeria Football Federation or one of its members is to abide by these rules and should be recalled of the duties and possible consequences in case of infringement.
The world body however urged the federation to fast track the process of name change with the relevant bodies in the country to avoid further crisis.
“We also take this opportunity to express our perplexity with regard to the recurrence of cases related to football brought before ordinary courts in Nigeria. We deem important the NFF clearly states it is prohibited and that any implementation of awards would be perceived as interference and subject to potential sanctions.
“Indeed and as stated in article 13 Par. 1 (g) and article 17 Par. 1 of the FIFA statues, the FIFA member associations must manage their affairs independently and with no influence from third parties. Violations of these obligations may lead to sanctions. (Article 13 Par. 2).
In addition, the letter signed by Deputy Secretary General of FIFA, Markus Kattner stated that FIFA has recognized the change of name from Nigeria Football Association to Nigeria Football Federation but urged the football house to liaise with the relevant authorities to ensure that the pending NFF bill before the National Assembly is passed to avoid future bickering.
Many have argued that what the NFF is doing at the moment is to buy time, while waiting for the processes to be completed for juts change of name.
Those who are this school of thought believe that Nigeria, being an in dependent entity cannot be forced by FIFA to do what is illegal as far as the laws of the land are concerned.
To them, it was wrong of the NFF to jump the gun by changing their name from NFA to NFF when the proper and legal processes were not yet completed.
According to those who hold such opinions, even FIFA recognizes the powers of the Nigerian constitution and the laws of the land when it says, “We strongly recommend that you liaise with the relevant authorities in order to overcome the current situation especially with regard to the new NFF bill by making sure that none of its provision contradicts the FIFA statues”.
But the House of Representatives Committee of Sports, one of those who have all what it takes to resolve the lingering crisis promised last Wednesday to expedite action on the bill before the House to ensure that the bill is passed with three months.
We challenge those at the National Assembly particularly members of the sports committee from the two chambers to speed the process of turning this document into law so that ‘the only thing that binds Nigerians’ will not experience unnecessary distractions.
We are still nursing the pains of the Super Eagles’ failure to appear at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations fiesta in Gabo and Equatorial Guinea.
Now, especially as we begin preparations for the 2013 Nations Cup qualifiers, is the time to learn from our past mistakes and fashion out ways to taking our football back to where it rightly belong instead of bickering over issues that will not favour us as individuals.
Articles
NFA, NFF litigations and FIFA threat...Again, Nigerian football hangs on the cliff
Category: Sports Written by Orkula Shaagee Hits: 956
The Nigeria football industry has never known peace since the separation of the apex football league from the Nigeria Football Federation, the nation’s football governing body, and as at today, more than 20 cases are pending in various courts regarding name change, elections and many others, including the one over missing money in the NFF secretariat. After two months of relative peace enjoyed by stakeholders, another salvo was fired last Friday, in the shape of a court ruling which ignited fire with threat to consume the country’s entire football system. SHOT! recaps this and look at the loop holes and the way out...
Before last week Friday, there was relative peace in the nation’s football sector, but late that day the Nigerian football industry was thrown into another round of crisis once again when a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja declared both the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) are illegal bodies.
The judgment delivered by Justice Donatus Okorowo in the case brought before him by the former Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, says the existence of the two organizations is not known to the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The former President of the NRA instituted the case in March 2010 challenging his disqualification to run for the NPL election, which Davidson Owumi won.
As expected, the judgment has generated a lot on reactions and commentaries from stakeholders, including world football governing body, FIFA, which such action would amount interference and subsequent sanctions.
Also, a day after the judgment, one of the parties who has been fighting the Federation for ‘illegal change of name’, Mr. Jarret Tenebe announced on a Channels Television programme that he would take over the NFF secretariat last Thursday.
Before then, he gave Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi up to till Thursday to constitute an interim board for the association in order to avoid vacuum, failure of which he said he would take over the Glass House secretariat.
But before the appointed day, the leadership of the NFF, led by its President Aminu Maigari filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal Abuja challenging the Federal High Court declaration that the bodies were not properly incorporated.
He added that with the judgment, world football ruling body, FIFA is bound to respect his group, which is recognized by the Nigerian laws.
In another reaction, a member of the Nigeria Football Executive Committee, Effiong Johnson apparently angered by the development, threatened to challenge the legality of the National Sports Commission in the court, claiming the leadership of the Commission is behind the NFF’s predicament.
According to him, “those in the Commission are doing everything possible to discredit us in the eyes of all Nigerians.
“Why is it that it is only when we have any important qualifier at hand that this issue would crop up? I want to tell Nigerians that it is the NSC that does not want our football to move forward. I am going to court in Uyo to challenge the legality of the NSC also. An illegal body cannot be calling one illegal”.
Another stakeholder and FCT Football Association Chairman, Musa Talle described the judgment as a ploy by external forces to derail all the programs of the Federation in the year.
FIFA said in reaction that “In addition and according to article 13 par. 1( d) of the FIFA Statues, the FIFA member associations have to ensure that their own members comply with FIFA Statues. Therefore any individual or body belonging to the Nigeria Football Federation or one of its members is to abide by these rules and should be recalled of the duties and possible consequences in case of infringement.
The world body however urged the federation to fast track the process of name change with the relevant bodies in the country to avoid further crisis.
“We also take this opportunity to express our perplexity with regard to the recurrence of cases related to football brought before ordinary courts in Nigeria. We deem important the NFF clearly states it is prohibited and that any implementation of awards would be perceived as interference and subject to potential sanctions.
“Indeed and as stated in article 13 Par. 1 (g) and article 17 Par. 1 of the FIFA statues, the FIFA member associations must manage their affairs independently and with no influence from third parties. Violations of these obligations may lead to sanctions. (Article 13 Par. 2).
In addition, the letter signed by Deputy Secretary General of FIFA, Markus Kattner stated that FIFA has recognized the change of name from Nigeria Football Association to Nigeria Football Federation but urged the football house to liaise with the relevant authorities to ensure that the pending NFF bill before the National Assembly is passed to avoid future bickering.
Many have argued that what the NFF is doing at the moment is to buy time, while waiting for the processes to be completed for juts change of name.
Those who are this school of thought believe that Nigeria, being an in dependent entity cannot be forced by FIFA to do what is illegal as far as the laws of the land are concerned.
To them, it was wrong of the NFF to jump the gun by changing their name from NFA to NFF when the proper and legal processes were not yet completed.
According to those who hold such opinions, even FIFA recognizes the powers of the Nigerian constitution and the laws of the land when it says, “We strongly recommend that you liaise with the relevant authorities in order to overcome the current situation especially with regard to the new NFF bill by making sure that none of its provision contradicts the FIFA statues”.
But the House of Representatives Committee of Sports, one of those who have all what it takes to resolve the lingering crisis promised last Wednesday to expedite action on the bill before the House to ensure that the bill is passed with three months.
We challenge those at the National Assembly particularly members of the sports committee from the two chambers to speed the process of turning this document into law so that ‘the only thing that binds Nigerians’ will not experience unnecessary distractions.
We are still nursing the pains of the Super Eagles’ failure to appear at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations fiesta in Gabo and Equatorial Guinea.
Now, especially as we begin preparations for the 2013 Nations Cup qualifiers, is the time to learn from our past mistakes and fashion out ways to taking our football back to where it rightly belong instead of bickering over issues that will not favour us as individuals.