NFA-NFF Crises: Sports minister attempts solution

Tenebe of the NFA

…Constitutes committee to resolve football conflicts

The Minister of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission, (NSC) Mr. Yusuf Suleiman, has spearheaded a new initiative to resolve all the lingering issues affecting the smooth management of the game in the country which led to the factionalisation of the Glass House.

All the three key actors in the crisis including the National Sports Commission, the Jarret Tenebe led-NFA and the Aminu Maigari led-NFF were said to have agreed would nominate one representative each in the committee of nine members whose term of reference would be announced later by the minister of sports. The NSC is to nominate six other members one each from the nation’s geo-political zones.

Chairman of the interim board of the NFA, Jaret Tenebe, read the communiqué arising from the meeting. He said all the parties have agreed to the need for peace to prevail as a prerequisite for football development in the country.

According to him, “there is need to reform football administration in the country and therefore, to start the process by the constitution of a committee made up of Nigerians of high standing in the society in which the NSC, the NFA and the NFF shall nominate one representative each’’.
The warring parties have also agreed with the minister of sports to withdraw any pending legal matters in court and subsequently refrain from taking football matters to court.

They also agreed that NFA and the NFF shall as a matter of urgency, put machineries in motion to reconcile the Nigeria Players Union in the interest and welfare of Nigerian footballers.
Tenebe said while reading the communiqué that all actions shall be geared towards the good of the game and its development in Nigeria and the best interest of the country.

Maigari of the NFF

Tenebe said they agreed on the need for peace to reign believing that the new minister of sports, Yusuf Suleiman is a sincere person. ‘’We have given him the support to find resolution to the problem of Nigeria football and we believe that he will do the right thing’’.

NFF President, Aminu Maigari, however, expressed gratitude to the minister of sports for the intervention brought the two parties together to jaw-jaw. ‘’I want to thank the minister for the resolution of the problem. Putting the two parties together in the committee, we will work to ensure that in the next five days, people will see the new way forward’’.

Sports minister, Yusuf Suleiman, who brokered the temporal peace said, “I told you earlier in my meeting with you, the press, that within a few days I will find resolution to the crisis. I am glad to say that in the meeting and interaction with the various groups, I learnt that it is passion for the development of football that is responsible for the crisis.’’

Suleiman said that he is encouraged that the task of administering football has been made easier due to the peace deal. He maintained that the setting up of the committee would definitely proffer the much needed solution.

Also speaking during the meeting, the Director General of NSC, Chief Patrick Ekeji, noted that “no matter how hot or deep a matter is, it can only be settled on a round table and not through war. Even when wars are fought with pains and warships, the disagreement can only be settled on a round table. So I am happy that peace has returned to our football.”

However, the NFA has nominated Mr. Harrison Jalla to represent her on the committee while the NFF has nominated Mr. Christopher Green to also represent her. The NSC’s representative and the geo-political zonal representatives are being awaited to be named with the inauguration of the panel set for next week.