State FA chairmen reinstate Maigari as NFF president

By Albert Akota

The crisis rocking Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) took another dimension yesterday when a group of 26 State FA chairmen rose from its meeting in Abuja to announce the annulment of the impeachment of the president of the federation Alhaji Aminu Maigari.

Addressing the media after the meeting which took place in the early hours of Thursday, spokesman of the group and the chairman of the Abia State FA, Sir Ephraim Chukwuemeka said their action was as a result of the emergency congress earlier called by the executive committee of the NFF which had fixed an emergency congress for Thursday, July 26.

He said the resolution to recall the impeached Maigari was after a proper examination of all the charges levelled him which were found to be frivolous because according to the Article 28(j) the NFF Statutes, approval of the yearly audited account of the federation was ratified by the congress in their meetings in Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri during which no member of the executive committee raised any issue about the finance of the football house.

“That at no time during the NFF general assembly throughout these preceding years (2001, 2002 and 2003) did the NFF finance committee or the internal audit committee or the external auditors or the general assembly raise any queries with regards to the financial activities of the federation led by Aminu Maigari.

“In view of the forgoing, to reject in its entirety the alleged dismissal of the president of the NFF, Alhaji Aminu Maigari and the appointment of an acting president of the NFF in the person of Mr. Mike Umeh, the current vice president of the NFF or any other person.

“That the undersigned having constituted more than 50%+1 of the members of the NFF (as required by the NFF Statutes for taking valid decisions at the congress) and in view the mathematical impossibility of the remaining members to ratify he alleged dismissal pursuant to the NFF Statues, the president should immediately return to his desk and continue as the president of the NFF pending the elective congress of August 26 2014”.

The communiqué further argued that the usual crisis that rocks the country’ football after every four years is not a good development adding that anybody that wants to effect a change in the leadership of the NFF should wait till the scheduled election taking place on August 26.

“We also demand that anybody who wishes to effect a change in the leadership of the NFF should be patient and do so at the elective congress fixed for Tuesday, August 26, 2014”.

The chairmen also demanded that in view of the earlier suspension of Nigeria by FIFA and the subsequent lifting added with the impeachment of Maigari, a new deadline be set for the submission of nomination forms for the various elective offices.