NFF Congress dissolves Maigari-led board

The drama which has been playing out since Thursday 1 July when a Jos, Plateau State court restrained the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Aminu Maigari, his Executive Committee members and the NFF Congress from running the affairs of football in Nigeria, reached a crescendo Saturday 5 July, when an Extra-Ordinary General Assembly of the NFF approved Maigari’s sack.

The General Assembly consists of all the Chairmen and Secretaries of the Football Associations of the 36 States of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, representatives of the affiliate bodies such as the Leagues, Coaches Association, Referees Association and Players’ Union.

The emergency meeting of the General Assembly, which was held at the Bolingo Hotel & Towers, Abuja unanimously, endorsed the dissolution of the Maigari–led NFF Executive Committee, and immediate termination of the employment of all management staff.

The Congress also endorsed the dissolution of the Boards of the Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women League and the Nigeria Nationwide League. The Secretaries are to take over the running of the Leagues and report to the Acting General Secretary of NFF.

It also approved the appointment of Lawrence Katken as acting General Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation, pending the appointment of a substantive General Secretary.

In a communiqué signed by the chairman of the Drafting Committee of the meeting, Chief Obinna Ogba, made available to P.M.NEWS Sports Saturday evening, the Congress expressed heartfelt appreciation to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR in his personal capacity and the Federal Government in general, for total and unflinching support to the Nigeria Football Federation for the development of the Nigeria game.

It commended the players and officials of the Super Eagles for their impressive performance at the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil.

It however bemoaned the unfortunate incident of the international embarrassment caused Nigeria nation at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, by failure of the Maigari–led NFF to fully and firmly resolve issues of finance with the Super Eagles ahead of the championship.

The Congress accused the Maigari’s administration of shortchanging grassroots development by failure to regularly avail State Football Associations of annual grant, and abuse of NFF Statutes in its constitution of NFF Electoral Committee, by altering the list of persons approved by the Congress at the 2013 General Assembly in Warri, Delta State, and inaugurating a different Committee.

A new NFF Electoral Committee and NFF Appeals Committee constituted are:

Members of the Electoral Committee; Barrister Jeriak Rowland (South South); Barrister Usman A. Usman (North West); Barr. EmekaAsogwa (South East); Mrs. MargarethAku (North Central); Mr. Hassan Adamu (North East); Prof. Ademola Abass (South West); Barr. Chris Essien (South South) and Lawrence Katken (Secretary).

The Electoral Appeals Committee members included Barr. Effiong Oboho, Barr. Waribere Sonari, Dr. Isaac Akinloye, Mr. Thomas Awok , Mr. Simon Gyang and Barr. Queen Otarakpo (Secretary)