Chairman of the recently inaugurated elders and stakeholders reconciliation committee for Nigerian football, Col. Abdulmumini Aminu (rtd) has declared that the current name tag of the country’s soccer governing body is illegal.
Aminu said at the outset of his duty with the six-man peace seeking committee that the current structure of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is being run ‘illegally’ and there is need for an enabling law that would make the body function effectively.
Aminu, who has been saddled with the responsibility reconciling the NFF warring factions within two weeks as the head of Elder Stakeholders Reconciliation Committee appointed by the sports ministry, says the leadership tussle between Amaju Pinnick and Chris Giwa has dragged for too long because of lack of laws for the federation.
Members of the committee inaugurated by sports minister, Solomon Dalung on Monday include two former NFF bosses, Alh. Ibrahim Galadima and Anthony Kojo Williams.
Others are Prof. Onje GyeWado, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja (Life Member, NFF Board) and Dr. Bolaji Ojo Oba.
However, Aminu said the NFF’s legal foundation needs to be addressed first, and called on the National Assembly to urgently enact laws which would enhance the operations of the NFF.
A bill for an Act to repeal the Nigeria Football Association Law 2004 and enact the NFF Act to provide for the administration of the game of Football in Nigeria and for other related matters is currently before the National Assembly, and Aminu wants expedited action.
“The NFF is illegally run, because there is no law backing it. The NFF is being run by Decree 101, which was used for the NFA.
“Unless the National Assembly helps to enact an act or create an enabling law for the NFF, we are still going to have problems.”
“The key to curbing the crisis in the NFF is an Act of the National Assembly,” the amiable former military governor submitted.
