Contempt: Anyim, Sports Minister, Maigari, others in court

SGF Anyim Pius Anyim

Contrary to the prescriptions and what the Nigerian public had been made to believe that all legal matters in the administration of football had been settled, we are back in the court room.

This time around, the National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) at a Federal High Court, Abuja has filed contempt proceedings against the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Minister of Sports, the Director General of the Federal Ministry of Sports, the Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari and 33 others.

The NANF in its matter, NANF vs. AGF and 5 others in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/86/2012  went on to file the fresh twist through its counsel, Belo Aideloje Esq.,. 

The contempt proceedings is hinged on incessant violations of two previous judgements, processes and proceedings of the current matter in court.

The matter is fixed for 25^th October 2012 for further hearing before Justice Adamu Bello.

The question is, with the new twist to the matter, what are the likely options available to the nation. What happened to the peace moves we were made to believe has yielded result recently? Did the peace jumped out of the windows or what? We are waiting and watching.

The business of making money from Hon Gaiya

I insist and will repeat the fact that every Nigerian has an unalloyed space to be who they want to be. It is within these precincts that they must be respected and honoured as persons in their own rights irrespective of their place in the society or in life, rich or poor.

Like I had said in my previous writings on Hon. Godfrey Gaiya since the reports concerning him from the London 2012 Olympics had broken off here, as an individual, he is highly respected and deserves all the honour beyond his being a law-maker.

That is where this junction stops. Where my cross starts I had earlier stated. I also wish to state categorically that, I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING PERSONAL AGAINST HIM. I am also aware that some people had been making good money from him citing they have so many details and knowledge of my person.  Let them sue.

Someone, he used to work with a hydra-headed type of media organisation with an international reach, had been begging to fix a peace meeting between me and the Hon member. I had told him, I am not privy to such meetings because the issues I raised are not personal.

This afternoon, he called and was begging to have the meeting because “the Hon is thinking of suing the hotel (Marriot in London) and you out of existence.” I laughed.

My reply: “I wish the Hon a safe trip to and from London. When he returns from London we shall meet in the Fair Lady’s chamber of truth and justice.

One hopes these “Gentlemen of the Press” who have no hope of a stable or regular salary will get some more worthwhile sources of making money than exploiting the many levels of crisis in the sport. It is sad that sports journalism has become a merchantilist product to feed some lazy bones and intellectually deficient persons who ordinarily should not qualify to practise journalism if things work well.