The Board of the Nasarawa State Football Association has set up a three-man Committee to investigate the rationale behind the hosting of a grassroots football tournament in Karu Local Government Area.
Malam Halidu Akwashiki, Vice Chairman of the state FA, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lafia on Wednesday.
Akwashiki said the committee will unravel why the football competition was organised despite the directives of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and the Nigerian Football Federation to suspend all football-related activities in the country.
He said: “You know with this pandemic, all football activities were suspended, but we discovered that a football competition held in Karu Local Government Area and the painful part is that the local FA of the area was aware of it.
“So we set up a committee to investigate them and all those involved in the competition and the teams that participated in it.
“The terms of reference also include to find out the nature of the competition, who gave approval for the competition, find out the number of affiliate clubs with the Karu FA and find out officials that officiated the matches.
“They are also to know the number of participating clubs, teams that participated in the recently concluded competition and suggest and recommend disciplinary measures, if any, to be meted to the offenders.
“I want to assure you that we in the Nasarawa FA, an affiliate of the NFF, are law abiding citizens of this country.
“That is why we find it necessary to abide by the rules and regulations guiding the COVID-19 situation in the country.
“The Nasarawa State FA gave early notice and warning to all clubs in the state since the inception of the pandemic that all football activities should be suspended.
“We see no reason why some chose not to abide by the directive.”
Akwashiki, who said Ahmed Bello-Mohammed will serve as Chairman of the committee, Auwal Adamu as member and Usman Ibrahim serving as the Secretary, added that the committee has been given one week to conclude the investigation.
“We are expected to receive the report on September 8,” he said.
NAN.
