Civil Society Groups and youth organizations in Nigeria have slammed the Chris Giwa-led faction of the Nigeria Football Federation for jeopardizing Nigerian football with what they described as his recalcitrant attitude.
The groups also threw their weight behind the President of the NFF, Amaju Pinick.
According to them, Pinnick is the authentic and most acceptable leadership.
The groups, under the aegis of the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Transparency in Governance and Nigerian Youth Groups, urged the Minster of Sports, Solomon Dalung, to expedite action on bringing to closure the crisis rocking the NFF, noting that the Giwa-led faction has continued to do damage to the sport in Nigeria with the NFF’s inability to pay coaches being the latest fallout of his divisive politics.
They said the Minister must let the delinquent faction know that they continue to hurt the round leather game to the displeasure of sports lovers in Nigeria and abroad.
According to a statement by the coalition’s National Convener, Comrade Ikpa Isaac, the fact that the Giwa-led faction could stampede the NFF’s bankers from crediting the coaches’ salaries into their accounts is enough proof that Giwa and his loyalists are more interested in power for its sake as opposed to the rapid and sustainable development of the sport.
Isaac said: “These people frustrating football in Nigeria should have complied with the communiqué of the NFF’s extraordinary Congress that directed them, Chris Giwa, Yahaya Adama, Muazu Suleyman, Sani Fema and Effiong Johnson to appear before its disciplinary board for contravening its statutes and other football laws instead of making further trouble.
“They have further taken the annoying step of bringing Nigerian football to ridicule by shopping the law courts in violation of the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA), which has appropriately warned NFF of the possibility of suspension should Amaju Pinnick be removed as president.
“One will expect that Giwa would have realized by now that he and his co-travelers are fighting as even the National Assembly has revealed where lawmakers stand on the matter. But he has remained obstinate and continued to pursue a path that could only end badly for Nigeria’s football if allowed to pursue it to conclusion.”
The coalition urged those in the Giwa faction to swallow their pride and submit to the Pinnick-led NFF with a view to getting leniency.
It appealed to Pinnick to be magnanimous and “re-extend an olive branch” to the defeated faction as his contributions to the stability of football in Nigeria.
NFF crisis: Coalition slams Giwa
By NAN
