The newly-elected president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ambassador Chris Giwa, on Wednesday resumed office after arriving the Glass House at exactly 1.55pm, insisting the election that brought him to power is a very genuine one.
The Plateau State owner of Giwa FC, argued that the absence of the continental and world football governing bodies, CAF and FIFA, has no iota of effect on the emergence of his board.
Giwa revealed that his immediate priority would be to relocate to the new secretariat of the football federation, the Sunday Dankaro Football House, dismissing the nullification of his election by the General Secretary as baseless and unfortunate.
His words: “I have always desired and trusted God to be here.
“It is therefore a great deal of joy and honour to the glory of God to actualise it.
“My mission from now is to see how we can move forward, get the house in order and make sure the game prosper in this country.
“What will be the first thing in my agenda of my resumption of duty would be to just inspect the place and have an assessment of the situation on ground in the place we will operate from.”
On his plans to relocate to the new secretariat, Ambassador Giwa replied: “I think what we will do is to move out of this place immediately.
“One of my aspirations and desire was to ensure that we packed out of this place within one or two weeks.
“I don’t want to believe that the reason they don’t want to pack out of this place is because of money to furnish the new secretariat.
“It was a matter of priority.
“One of things that will be our priority will be to make sure that we park out of this secretariat because the Glass House is no longer a befitting place to conduct football administration activities.
“I have already made it clear that our first assignment as a board would be to ensue that we have one house.
“I don’t believe that we have a split in the football family.
“There is no doubt on whether our election yesterday (Tuesday) was genuine.”
Asked the implication of the absence of FIFA and CAF observers during his election, Giwa emphatically said: “Let me make it clear that there is no statutory stipulation that FIFA or CAF observers must be present during the election.
“I think it has to do with the house.
“If the congress decides, FIFA has to follow.”