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Tue, Oct

The battle between the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and Stephen Keshi, the Super Eagles head coach got to a head Thursday morning as NFF sent him packing from his job and appointed Coach Amodu Shuaibu to take over the team for a while before an expatriate would be appointed as head coach.

Also affected by the sack are Keshi's assistants, Daniel Amokachi and Ike Shorounmu.

A statement by signed, Sulaiman Yahaya-Kwande, an Executive Committee member of the federation stated that the committee, "unanimously, praised the excellent contributions of the technical crew of the senior national team, Super Eagles, led by Mr. Stephen Keshi, to the glorious accomplishments of the team in the past three years, and hailed Keshi, Daniel Amokachi and Ike Shorounmu as true national heroes.

"However, in the interest of Nigeria football and the desire to ensure qualification for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations finals, the committee decided to relieve them of their duties with immediate effect.

"The committee also, unanimously, approved the appointment of a consortium of coaches to lead the Super Eagles for only the two concluding matches of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series (against Congo in Brazzaville and against South Africa in Uyo), after which an expatriate Coach will be appointed.

"The consortium, led by Amodu Shaibu, also has Salisu Yusuf, Gbenga Ogunbote and Aloysius Agu. The team also has a new Coordinator in former international, Garba Lawal, while Toyin Ibitoye is the new Media Officer and Godfirst Chike is the new equipment manager. Team Secretary, Enebi Achor, is retained."

Former executives of the Nigerian Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, Barrister Christoher Green, Barrister Musa Amadu and Alhaji Shehu Dikko have threatened a court action against the State Security Service (SSS) and the Police over what they described as “incessant invitations and unlawful detention” if they do not desist from the act.

In a letter sent to the concerned parties, the former executives, represented by Festus Keyamo chambers urged the authorities to desist from harassing his client’s in order not to undermine the authority and jurisdiction of the court which is now seised of this matter.

The letter read: “We are counsel to Alhaji Aminu Maigari, Barrister Christopher Green, Barrister Musa Amadu and Alhaji Shehu Dikko (hereinafter referred to as ‘our client’) and on whose instructions we write to you.

“Our client informed us that upon their arrival from the FIFA World Cup Competition in Brazil on 4th July, 2014, they were arrested by your men and operatives and detained at the SSS headquarters. Our clients further briefed us that subsequently, they have been receiving series of invitations from both the State Security Service and the Nigeria Police and that when they honour those invitations despite their busy schedules, they are detained for hours without any information as to the reason for their invitation.

“Owing to the foregoing and acting on our clients’ instructions, we have instituted an action in the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking declarative and injunctive reliefs for the enforcement of our clients’ fundamental rights. Find attached the court processes.

“We are by this letter giving you notice of the pendency of this suit and respectfully urging you to desist from carrying out any action that will undermine the authority and jurisdiction of the court which is now seised of this matter. Please find attached a copy of the originating processes in this suit.

“We hope you realise that any action on your part in form of continuous invitations, harassments, arrests and detentions will undermine the authority of the court in this regard.

“We understand that these various harassments are designed to scuttle the Nigerian Football Federation Congress slated for the 30th of September, 2014 in Warri, Delta State, and your actions are at the behest of those who intend to scuttle the congress as they do not mean well for Nigerian Football. Kindly note that if your actions precipitate a crises that bungles the Congress, our clients shall not be held responsible for any fate that befalls our football from FIFA.

“We look forward to your co-operation in the circumstance.

Friday, September 26, 2014

1. The Director-General,

State Security Service,

Aso Drive,

Abuja.

2.The Inspector-General of Police,

        Force Headquarters,

        Louis Edet House,

        Central Area,

        Abuja.

Dear Sir,

INCESSANT INVITATIONS AND UNLAWFUL DETENTION OF ALHAJI AMINU MAIGARI, BARRISTER CHRISTOHER GREEN, BARRISTER MUSA AMADU AND ALHAJI SHEHU DIKKO

We are counsel to Alhaji Aminu Maigari, Barrister Christopher Green, Barrister Musa Amadu and Alhaji Shehu Dikko (hereinafter referred to as ‘our client’) and on whose instructions we write to you.

Our client informed us that upon their arrival from the FIFA World Cup Competition in Brazil on 4th July, 2014, they were arrested by your men and operatives and detained at the SSS headquarters. Our clients further briefed us that subsequently, they have been receiving series of invitations from both the State Security Service and the Nigeria Police and that when they honour those invitations despite their busy schedules, they are detained for hours without any information as to the reason for their invitation.

Owing to the foregoing and acting on our clients’ instructions, we have instituted an action in the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking declarative and injunctive reliefs for the enforcement of our clients’ fundamental rights. Find attached the court processes.

We are by this letter giving you notice of the pendency of this suit and respectfully urging you to desist from carrying out any action that will undermine the authority and jurisdiction of the court which is now seised of this matter. Please find attached a copy of the originating processes in this suit.

We hope you realise that any action on your part in form of continuous invitations, harassments, arrests and detentions will undermine the authority of the court in this regard.

We understand that these various harassments are designed to scuttle the Nigerian Football Federation Congress slated for the 30th of September, 2014 in Warri, Delta State, and your actions are at the behest of those who intend to scuttle the congress as they do not mean well for Nigerian Football. Kindly note that if your actions precipitate a crises that bungles the Congress, our clients shall not be held responsible for any fate that befalls our football from FIFA.

We look forward to your co-operation in the circumstance.

Thank you.

Yours most trusted,

FESTUS KEYAMO, ESQ.

Head of Chambers

...As FG Introduces Use Of MRI Scanners for Athletes

 Minister of Sport Dr. Tanmmy Danagogo has vowed to deal decisively with any coach or official who takes encourages athletes to use banned performance enhancing substances in Nigeria.

Danagogo issued the warning on Thursday in his first official reaction to the doping  allegation on teenage weightlifter Chika Amalaha, in the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. He also said the country would introduce the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as condition for double checking the status of athletes before any major competition.

"I will ensure the use of MRI scanning devices amongst other measures, as routine on our age-grade players, and pre-competition drug-test regime on athletes generally," Danagogo said.

He warned of severe consequences for any officials and coaches  who are found guilty of encouraging or condoning cheating of any kind.

"The reported first sample drug-test failure of our female weightlifter is very embarrassing and I feel so sad, although I am still convinced that 16-year-old Amalaha is innocent," he added.

"I hope she doesn't fail the confirmation test." 

Danagogo promised to use his office as sports minister to enshrine tenets of integrity and fair competition in the nation's sports,especially focusing on the youths.

Only a few days after world football governing body, FIFA Lifted the suspension it placed on Nigeria due to government interference in the country’s football association’s affairs, the Executive Committee of the board of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has sacked its president, Alhaji Aminu Maigari.

The committee met at the NFF Secretariat, Abuja early Thursday to go over the crisis that lead to a court injunction ordering the federation’s executives to be dissolved, an action that in turn led to the FIFA ban.

The committee also reviewed issues surrounding the lack of transparency marring all financial dealings of the federation and failure of Maigari to convene a meeting of the committee in the last eight months.

They noted that for the period of time the committee went without meeting, many weighty decisions about Nigeria football had been taken by a small cabal within the board, thus the executives passed a vote of no confidence on Maigari.

According to the Communique signed by Alhaji Muazu Sulyeman, the drafting committee chairman of NFF, the immediate dismissal of Maigari from the NFF executive committee has been approved on grounds of alleged “financial misappropriation, misapplication and maladministration”.

The Committee mandated Chief Mike Okeke Umeh, NFF’s first vice president, to take on the role of   Acting President, presiding over the affairs of the federation until a new NFF Executive Committee is elected and inaugurated by 26th August.

The committee applauded FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for their sincere interest in the development of Nigeria football, pledging that the nation will continue to abide by the rules prescribed by the governing bodies.

They thanked President Goodluck Jonathan and all Nigerians for their patience and understanding during the crisis period, reiterating that the NFF is constantly working toward the development of football in Nigeria.

Members of the committee in attendance were:  Vice President Chief Mike Umeh, Chief Emeka Inyama, Mrs Dilichukwu Onyedinma, Alhaji Ahmad Muazu Kawu, Chief Effiong Johnson, Barr. Christopher Green, Shehu Adamu, Alhaji Muazu Suleyman, Mr. Ayodeji Tinubu, Alhaji Yusuf Ahmed a.k.a ‘Fresh’,  Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu, Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande,  Musa Amadu and the sacked president Maigari.

 

The world football governing body, FIFA has sent a letter to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirming that it will be suspended with immediate effect if there are still persons claiming to have been elected to NFF positions on 26th August 2014 and occupying their offices on Monday, 8th September 2014.

The letter, received by NFF on Wednesday refers to some of the events that took place at NFF general assembly held on 26th August 2014.

The general assembly had been duly convened by the NFF Executive Committee to adopt a new framework for the NFF elections. But some members carved out a faction and conducted elections in the absence of the NFF President, Aminu Maigari who was, at the time being held by security forces for interrogation.

Earlier, in a letter sent on 29th August, FIFA had confirmed that it would not recognise the results of the 26th August elections. The football governing body had also said it would table the matter before the appropriate FIFA bodies, should there still be persons claiming to have been elected and occupying the NFF offices at midnight on 1st September 2014.

But when the deadline expired on Monday, some people were still claiming to have been elected and were occupying the NFF premises.

In a bid to prevent any rash decision, FIFA Emergency Committee decided to set a new deadline of 8th September 2014 at 08.00 CET.

“Should the new deadline not be respected, NFF will be automatically suspended until the board claiming to be elected vacates the premises of the NFF and the NFF General Secretary is able to perform his work without interference,” the letter from FIFA read.

FIFA directed that NFF Executive Committee as composed on 25th August 2014, under the presidency of Aminu Maigari, should convene as soon as possible to hold a first extraordinary general assembly to elect the members of the electoral committee and a second extraordinary general assembly in the shortest time possible allowed by law in order to proceed with the elections of new NFF office-bearers.

 

The Federal Government of Nigeria has pledged handsome financial rewards for any athlete who wins any medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Games, in Glasgow, Scotland.

Under the arrangement, any athlete who wins a Gold medal will go home with $7,000, Silver medalists will get $4,000 each, while any athlete who wins a Bronze will go home with $3,000.

Announcing the financial package, during an interactive session with the Nigerian athletes and officials, at the Games Village's Chef-de- Mission conference room, Glasgow‎, on Friday night, Minister of Sports, Dr. Tanmmy  Danagogo, said the financial gesture was designed to motivate the athletes to victory.

"This financial reward is designed to motivate all of you to win more medal for Nigeria. We are proud of the medal we have won at the weight lifting category and we are expecting more from all of you. Let me assure you that the government is ready to do more for all of you if you win more medals for the country," Danagogo said.

In addition to the $7,000 for Miss Chika  Ahamala, the first Gold medalist for Nigeria, in the women's weight lifting category, Danagogo announced anadditional $1,000 for her breaking  the Commonwealth record in the weight lifting category. 

While reassuring the athletes of the Federal Government's commitment towards their welfare and successes at the event, the minister said the over 170 million Nigerians were looking up to the athletes to win medals for the country.

"I can tell you that President Goodluck Jonathan has done everything possible for all of you to succeed in this tournament. The expectations of Mr. President and the rest of Nigerians is that you all win medals for us. We are proud of you and will give you all the necessary supports that you need to succeed," he said.

Those present at the meeting were the Director General (DG), National Sports Commission (NSC), Mr. Gbenga Elegbeleye, Director of Sports Medicine, Dr. Adukadri Mohammed, Director of Finance and Accounts (DFA), Ministry of Sports and President of the Nigeria Olympics Committee, (NOC), Alhaji Mohammed Ndanusa, among others. 

The world football governing body, FIFA has lifted the ban placed on Nigeria for government interference in the affairs of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The ban was imposed on the country  on 9th July.

According to a FIFA press release obtained by Huhuonline.com on Friday, the ban was lifted because statutory order has been reinstated at the NFF and the legitimate bodies reinstalled to run its affairs.

"FIFA noted that the court proceedings and order preventing the president of the NFF, the NFF Executive Committee members and the NFF Congress from running the affairs of Nigerian football that prompted the suspension have been withdrawn," the statement read.

"FIFA has decided to lift the suspension as of today, Friday 18th July 2014. The lifting of the suspension means that all rights of the NFF as a FIFA member as defined in article 12 of the FIFA Statutes are reinstated.”

As a result of the reinstatement NFF has said it will immediately  commence “arrangements for the under 20 Women National Team, Falconets to travel to Moncton, Canada, next week for a final training camp ahead of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup taking place in the same country.

NFF also assured that preparation for the under 17 boys to fly to Democratic Republic of Congo for a 2015 African U-17 Championship qualifier on Sunday, 27th July would commence immediately. 

More Articles ...

  1. Editor Petitions Sports Minister, Calls For Maigari-led NFF Probe
  2. World Cup: Germany Humiliates Host Brazil
  3. FIFA Suspension Looms over Nigeria after Maigari's Sack, Arrest
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