12th August, 2014
By Taiwo Adelu
The Executive Committee of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, rose from a meeting in Abuja Tuesday and resolved to lift bans on former board member, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi and other personalities in Nigerian football.
According to a communique released at the end of the meeting held at NFF Secretariat in Abuja and signed by Chief Emeka Inyama, the committee unanimously decided to lift bans of various lengths placed on Chief Rumson Baribote, Barrister Olaleye Adepoju, Mr. Jarrett Tenebe and Mr. Olajide Fashikun.
The ban on former member of NFF Executive Committee, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi will be lifted once communication is received from the Court of Arbitration for Sport that he has withdrawn his case, while other banned persons will have their cases reviewed as soon as they appear before the Committee.
With the ban lifted Adepoju will retake the Chairmanship of Oyo State Football Association and his seat on the Executive Committee of the NFF.
Also, Okenwa will retake his seat as Chairman of Enugu State Football Association.
The Executive Committee, however, decided that the lifting of ban placed on Chief Baribote is as far as football-related activities are concerned, and does not restore him to his former position of chairmanship of the board of Nigeria Premier League, NPL.
The committee, after thorough investigation, says it found a member of the Executive Committee, Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande not culpable of anti board activities and was therefore cleared. The committee re-affirmed suspension from the Executive committee and bans of six months and one year from all football–related activities placed on former members of the committee, Chris Green and Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf ‘Fresh’ respectively, pending the ratification of the General Assembly.
On Stephen Keshi’s contract renewal, the committee ruled that “having finalised a fresh contract with Mr. Keshi, for him to continue as head coach of Super Eagles, and having forwarded same to Mr. Keshi, the executive committee expects the new contract to be signed by the NFF and Mr. Keshi in a matter of days.”
In attendance at the meeting were Chief Mike Umeh (Acting President); Shehu Adamu (Acting 1st Vice President); Chief Emeka Inyama (member); Mrs. Dilichukwu Onyedinma (member); Chief Effiong Johnson (member); Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande (member); Mr. Ayodeji Tinubu (member); and Musa Amadu (Secretary).