Keyamo, Mrs Onyedinma and a non-juristic NFF.

Keyamo's letter as acknowledged by NFF

Uhn! It has happened again. The embattled Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) led by Alhaji Aminu Maigari may be heading for another cul-de-sac again. Still trying to breath fresh air from the troubles she is having with the break away Nigeria Football Association (NFA) led by Jarret Tenebe, one that is supposed to be of its own ilk, Chairperson of the Nigeria Women Football League, Mrs. Dilichukwu Onyedinma, is causing another milestone legal battle.

Point of conflict was the asinine election where in the attempt to rob some persons of the rights and freedom to associate and aspire freely into any office of their choice, they mismanaged the election and breached the very grund norms of the election.

Upon being made to realize their crass indecency and correct same, they made another attempt to rubbish the same election and manufactured an appeals committee whose basis to upturn the election used a terribly wrong rule. Now, the victim of the NFF charade has approached Festus Keyamo’s chambers to seek legal redress.

Sadder is the fact that the NFF has only 48 hours to address the issues or else face a fresh legal crisis. I haste to state clearly herein too, that the chambers of Keyamo are probably not aware that the NFF is certainly not a juristic personality which can sue or be sued. That chambers may need to consult with the NFA led by Jarret Tenebe to understand what I am saying here. Waiting to see.

THE FULL CONTENT:

Tuesday, May 31, 2011.

The Chairman,

Nigeria Football Federation,

Glass House,

Wuse Zone 7,

Abuja.

Dear Sir,

OPEN LETTER:

CALL FOR IMMEDIATE RECOGNITION OF MRS DILICHUKWU ONYEDINMA AS THE SUBSTANTIVE CHAIRMAN OF NIGERIAN WOMEN LEAGUE AND TO ACCORD HER ALL RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES DUE TO THE OFFICE.

We are Solicitors to Mrs. Dilichukwu Onyedinma (Hereinafter referred to as “our client”) and on whose instruction we write.

You will recall that election into the Nigerian Women League board members was conducted on the 29^th day of January 2011 wherein our client was returned as Chairman of the league having pooled the majority of votes cast in the said election in strict compliance with Article 16 of the GUIDELINES FOR THE ELECTIONS INTO REMAINING THREE ELECTIVE POSTS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE NIGERIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION. (Hereinafter referred to as “the Guideline”)

Our client was therefore sworn–in as the substantive Chairman of the women football league of the Nigeria Football Federation.

It is important to note that before the said election, our client was on the 19^th day of January, 2011 cleared to contest the election as a candidate under the umbrella of the Federal Capital Territory, North Central Zone. Our client’s name was therefore published as a qualified contestant having satisfied all the requirements of the NFF Statute and the Guideline, specifically Article 4, 5 and 7 of the Guideline. The facts about our client which were presented to the Electoral Committee for her candidature and eventual victory are as follows:

(a)    Our client is an Assistant Director in charge of Sports, Federal Capital Territory,

(b)    Our client is the Manager/Coordinator of FCT Queens Football Club, Abuja.

(c)    Our client has been resident in the Federal Capital Territory for a period of 28 (Twenty eight) years.

(d)    Our client was duly nominated by her club.

(e)    Our Client was cleared on the 19^th of January, 2011 and contested under the North Central Zone.

Letter of nomination of our client by the Director of Sports, F.C.T and Chairman of FCT Queens was presented to the Electoral Committee and is hereby annexed for your perusal.

As at the 29^th of January, 2011 when the election was held no petition was filed or pending against our client as required by Article 8 (4) of the Guideline challenging the competency or eligibility of our client to contest the elections. At the risk of prolixity but for clarity, we reproduce the entire Article 8.4

       

         “8.4   Acceptance of petition begins on the 20^th of January and ends on the 21^st of January, 2011.”

From the above provisions of the Guideline, it is clear that acceptance of petitions in respect of eligibility of candidates ended on the 21^st day of January, 2011.

However, to our client’s surprise, she was invited by the Appeals Committee over a petition filed by one AISHA FALODE, who all along participated in all the events leading to the election and the election proper but never complained about the candidature of our client until she lost the election. Our Client promptly appeared before the Committee but was asked to go without being informed of a definite date for the sitting of the Committee. The committee did not sit to hear the Appeal till the 25^th day of February, 2011, in clear violation of Article 17 of the Guideline which requires that petitions must be heard and determined within 7 (seven) days of their receipt.

These grave fundamental issues as distilled above were raised before the Appeal panel but the panel glossed over it and went ahead to hear and determine a petition it clearly lacked the requisite jurisdiction to entertain.

Assuming but without conceding that as at the 25^th day of February, 2011, the panel had the competency to sit and give the decisions it gave, it is our contention that the reasons given for such decision is not tenable both under the NFF Statutes and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The decision was therefore widely condemned (rightly) within and outside the glass house.

Our Client forwarded a complaint to your office which was received on the 3^rd day of March, 2011. The petition is attached.

In consideration of our Client’s complaint and wide criticism the unjust and baseless decision of the Appeal Committee received from all Nigerians, the board and the Executive Committee of the Nigerian Football Federation met on the 4^th day of March 2011, and resolved as follows:

         

“(4)   Executive Committee resolved to set up an Arbitration Tribunal to look into the decision of Friday, 25^th February, 2011 by the NFF Electoral Appeals Committee to annul the 29^th January, 2011 elections into the boards of the Women’s National and Amateur Leagues.”

Find attached for ease of reference the communiqué issued by the Executive committee on the 4^th day of March, 2011.

Notwithstanding the decision of the Executive Committee nullifying the decision of the Appeal panel and the resolution to set up an arbitration panel, our client has been consistently restrained by your office from carrying out her functions as the Chairman of the Women League. This forms the gravamen of our complaint in this letter.

Our brief revealed that our client has made several efforts to carry out her duties as the Chairman of the Women League including attending the board meeting of the Nigerian Football Federation but was restrained on your orders. Her functions were unlawfully assigned to individuals, alien to the administration of Football.

We see this as usurpation of the office of our client by you and an abuse of our client’s right to freedom from discrimination as enshrined in Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended).

We are by this letter demanding that within 48 hours after the receipt of this letter, you immediately accord to our client recognition as the Chairman of the Women League of the Nigerian Football Federation and give her access to all rights and privileges due to the said office.

TAKE NOTICE that if you fail or neglect to heed the above stated demand within the time stated above, we shall be left with no other option than to explore other legal remedies available to us against you.

In making the above demands, we are not oblivious of the so-called FIFA Rules which restrains disputes arising from Football from being taken to the regular courts. However, we are of the considered view that FIFA Rules does not and will never supersede the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which gives citizens of Nigeria the rights to seek redress in the regular courts, especially where, as in this case, mischief makers are hiding under the so-called FIFA Rules to perpetrate illegal and unjustifiable acts. We cannot fold our arms and watch private citizens desecrate with outright impunity the provisions of our Constitution and other laws of the country.

If you therefore give us the option, we shall not hesitate to approach the regular courts of our land for redress.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

For: Festus Keyamo Chambers

UGOCHUKWU EZEKIEL, ESQ.   OGHENOVO O. OTEMU, ESQ.

          Counsel                                    Asst. Head of Chambers, Abuja

  

CC:

1.      The Director-General,

          National Sports Commission,

          Abuja.

Owumi can return to his job – NFA

*suspends Lulu, Ogunjobi, Uchegbulam

Owumi...sack upturned by NFA

 The Nigeria Football Association (NFA) led by Jarret Tenebe has lifted the sack of the chairman of the Nigeria Professional league, Davidson Owumi, while suspending the troika of Alhaji Sani Lulu, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi and Amanze Uchegbulam from all football matters pending their current criminal trial in court. According to the communiqué at the end of their board meeting which took place in Abuja, the return of Owumi read verbatim: “That all decisions of the illegal Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) under the aegis of Alhaji Aminu Maigari including that of the General Assembly in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom state are founded on illegal foundation given the judgment of Justice Okon Abang’s court, and as a result are all illegal, null and void;

The pre-election impeachments of messrs Sani Lulu, Amanze Uchegbulam and Taiwo Ogunjobi as reversed by the Uyo General Assembly was ruled by the meeting to be illegal by virtue of the illegality of the NFF which acted ultra vires and thus, is upheld. They remain impeached;

The statement submitted that the trio of messrs Sani Lulu, Amanze Uchegbulam and Taiwo Ogunjobi are suspended from all matters of football in the country until such a time they are through and cleared from the criminal trial they are presently facing before a competent court of law as being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC);

Other decisions include the affirmation that, “the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) is, remains and shall be known as the ONLY custodian to manage the game in the country legally, by statute and by moral reasons until such a time that fresh, credible, reliable and sensible elections are undertaken in accordance to the Act of parliament that set up the NFA;

They added that, hence, every child in Nigeria, male and female, able and disabled, shall as of right be entitled to be trained in the game to aspire to a wonderful future, full of expectation and professional support to be who they want to be and to make the  administration of the game more open, engaging, democratic and fight corruption at all levels and at all times.

The statement added that, “we observe that the decision involving the appointment of coach Samson Siasia was the decision that the generality of the Nigerian public foisted on the NFF, because they would not have appointed him in the first instance, we shall in due time, affirm the appointments and modify the contracts to make him fully be in control of the senior national team as well as, freely relate with the media unlike the hostile current contract he has;

We call on the National Sports Commission (NSC) to hence stop funding the activities of the illegal NFF since that will contravene the laws of the land;

The NFA board‘s decision include “We shall officially write all financial institutions in the country not to continue to deal with the NFF because by any law of the land, they do not have a legal personality that can sue or be sued and as a result do not qualify to have such banking or other dealings;

They also promised to write to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to investigate all the banks that had dealings with the NFF on how the illegal NFF met the requirements to undertake banking relations since they do not have such legal documents that would have qualified them in the first instance;

According to the communiqué, “We condemn the irresponsible conduct of one of Alhaji Aminu Maigari’s aide, Tunde Aderibigbe, who attacked the person of our First Vice Chairman, Alhaji Ahmed Gara-Gombe, at the Nigeria-Argentina match in Abuja on the 1^st June 2011 in Abuja. We have reported the matter to the police and call for a speedy investigation and prosecution of the alleged culprit to serve as deterrence to other dissidents.

They thanked Nigerians who have “increasingly appreciated the just cause for Nigerian football which we represent who are identifying with us and our vision for the game. We are sincerely surprised by the quantity and quality of such persons. We shall not disappoint you all.

Restating their position, they wrote, “this interim committee shall in due course let all Nigerians know the transition programme and set in motion all the committees that shall deliver these tasks to the glory of God, Nigeria and the children whose future has guided our decisions at all times.”  

 

NFF celebrate alleged removal of Oghiadomhe

Ekeji alleged to be Tenebe's NFA

Today as Nigeria was preparing to play Argentina inside the National Stadium in Abuja, there was wild celebration going on inside the Glass House of Sodom in Abuja.  The celebration we were told was on the ‘rumours’ that the Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Ogiadomhe, has been replaced by Dr (Ambassador) Boladi Igali, a former classmate of the President who until the said appointment was the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Environment.

According to those who know, “we have gotten rid of the backer of the NFA led by that stupid solider, Jarret Tenebe. Now that he is sacked, we will see how they will survive. God is on our side. You see how He has done his things. Those clowns are done. Their political fang has been broken. Down to the oppressors.”

Maigari's NFF celebrate change in govt

According to those who witnessed the celebration, they were so happy that the President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is not listening to those fools despite all the mistakes we committed (probably referring to the invitation of General Mohammadu Buhari for the Ethiopia match and probably, the entry of the dreaded Boko Haram into the football gambit).

According to our source, “we had a wonderful outing with the FIFA officials during the elective congress where we sealed our position against the Chief Ekeji backed NFA. The DG of the NSC is fraudulently backing them to equalize some issues with us. God is wonderful.”

LEGAL EXPERIMENTATION AT THE NIGERIA-ARGENTINA MATCH

Law and rights at a football matter

I am a journalist. I was not a member of any of the feuding football factions of NFA nor NFF. So, a body to which you are not a member ordinarily have no power to discipline you. This calls to question where Alhaji Aminu Maigari’s board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has gotten the powers to purportedly, as announced by media organisations, which I also doubt, since no official letter to that effect has been handed to me on that ignoble decision, to ban me for life from all matters of football in the country.

To date, that decision has remained a rumour. If it were not, there was no formal relationship delivering such a decision to me. Therefore, it is not yet of effect. For that reason, I will be attending the match between Nigeria and Argentina. I wait to be stopped from performing my constitutional duty as a journalist.

Until that is done, I won’t have a room for injuries and thus, demand for such injuries to be paid for. I am also prepared to pay to buy a ticket at N2, 500:00, in the event where I am so stopped, and if again, I am so stopped, then, the injuries would have been enormous enough for me to go to a court of law to test the waters.

I had reported this to my local chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) since the primary function I belong to as a member, the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) both at the FCT and national levels, have not seen anything wrong with the decision of the NFF.

I also do know that, if this ignoble decision is allowed to go unchallenged, some days to come, the NFF or any other sports federation who feels any journalist is too critical of their activities will also slam a life ban on members of the fourth realm of the Estate.

Thank God there are judgments even of the Supreme Court of Nigeria that ruled that even the National Assembly or any such institutions do not have the powers to summon a journalist for their reports. So one wonders where did the NFF get their alien powers from. This we have to test today.