NFF crisis: Drama as Maigari resumes, + photo

Despite the controversy that trailed Friday’s order of the Minister of Sports, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, that the impeached and resigned President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Aminu Maigari, should resume, the embattled NFF boss did on Monday morning.
This was amid a mild drama as both Maigari and the Acting President of the NFF, Mike Umeh, who arrived at the NFF secretariat before his former boss, occupied the same office for several hours.
Danagogo had on Friday caved in to the demand of world’s football governing body, FIFA, that Maigari must oversee the upcoming August 26, 2014 election into the Executive Board of the NFF.
This was after his removal by the NFF Board and his subsequent resignation.
Umeh had kicked against the directive, saying he was not sure it was issued by Danagogo.
Members of the Board also said that contrary to the assertion of the minister, Danagogo never consulted them in reaching the conclusion that Maigari must resume.
However, Maigari came to the NFF secretariat in Abuja on Monday to resume duties.
He had started work as at press time.
Speaking to newsmen on Monday, Maigari denied resigning.
He said in his office at the NFF Glass House: “If I have resigned I won’t be here.”
On his relationship with Umeh, he stated: “My relationship with Mike will remain cordial.
“He is my first vice.
“I have sat twice with him and had personal discussion on the way forward for our football.”
On the ban imposed on Chris Green and Ahmed Yusuf Fresh, Maigari said: “I believe my colleagues will not take a wrong decision.
“Now that I am here, we will continue from where they stopped.”
Asked if the election fixed for August 26 will still hold as scheduled, he said: “The board will sit down to decide on the right thing to do.
“I personally want every single individual who is eligible to be given an opportunity to contest.”
But Umeh, who was in the same office with Maigari insisted that it was wrong for Danagogo to have told Maigari to resume.
He said Maigari had already resigned and had no place in the NFF.
He said: “The Minister cannot ask Maigari to come back to office because he did not tell us to suspend him.
“We suspended him in accordance with the laws that govern our football.
“If he is insisting that Maigari comes back, does that not amount to government interference?
“Maigari cannot be parading himself as president of NFF because he tendered his resignation on the 12th of August.”