Giwa sacks national league body

The Chris Giwa-led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has suspended the League Management Company (LMC) from running the affairs of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) after the LMC told clubs not to honour Week 26 matches last weekend.

The LMC had suspended league matches after the Nigeria Referee Association (NRA) directed its members not to take charge of matches in protest of the crisis in the domestic game.

But the board, in a communiqué after its maiden meeting in Abuja Monday night, said the LMC sabotaged the NPFL games.

Obinna Ogba, first vice chairman of the NFF who read the communiqué of their meeting to newsmen, said a six-man committee had been constituted to oversee the league.

“The members of the committee are Mr Fatai Olaniyan (chairman), Rumson Baribote, Okey Ibe, Isaac Danladi, Tijani Babanginda, Babangida Little and Tunji Babalola who will serve as secretary,” Ogba said.

“They will oversee the NPL matches till the end of the ongoing season.

“The committee is also mandated to chart a new roadmap for elections into the board of the NPL.”

According to him, another committee had been constituted to investigate the members of the LMC and the NRA to ascertain the level of their involvement in the sabotage of the league.

The members are Inuwa Umar, O.O Olaniyan, Chris Akon and Sunday Okayi.

The movement to the new NFF secretariat inside Abuja Stadium was also part of the agenda and a committee was set up to work out the modalities.

It comprises Effiong Johnson (chairman), Adama Yahaya and Chris Emeruwa (secretary).

A committee chaired by Gen. Dominic Oneya was also set up to reconcile all the stakeholders in Nigeria football.

Other members are Ibrahim Galadima, Gabriel Chukwuma, Dickson Adejube and Onje Gyewado.

Meanwhile, Chris Giwa has maintained that the election that brought him into office on August 26 is “irreversible.”

Giwa, who spoke to newsmen at the NFF secretariat, said the planned election on September 4 by the Aminu Maigari-led faction should be regarded as rumour.

“No, no, no; there will never be an election on September 4 because we will not and I repeat we will not allow anybody to mess up with the NFF, CAF and FIFA statutes, no matter who the person thinks he is,” he said.

“Where is it on earth that in less than one week you tell me you can organise an election where we have a statute giving us a mandatory period of time.

“A congress sat on November 28, 2013 and agreed that election would hold on August 26, 2014 and somebody will wake up because he has lost out to tell us he wants to conduct election. No, it will not happen.”

He used the opportunity to assure Nigerians that FIFA would not ban the country, as a reply has been sent to the football governing body on the latest development.

“I am confident that Nigeria Football Association (NFA) will not be sanctioned, because I know FIFA as an organisation that is not biased, an organisation that will listen to everybody and the right decision will be taken,” he said.

“I am confident that this is the last hurdle, by the grace of God.”