South-South FA chairmen reject DFA Normalisation Committee, boycotts NFF activities

By Amaechi Agbo

South-South Football Association chairmen has rejected the hurriedly appointed normalisation committee to oversee the affairs of Delta State Football Association, DFA
Arising from a meeting Tuesday the chairmen in a release signed by five FA chairmen from the region also said that until the normalisation committee which they said was set up in flagrant violation of extant laws of football in the country, the zone will henceforth cease participation in all NFF organised activities.
The Chairmen of the Football Associations in the South South zone of Nigeria met at Port-Harcourt Rivers State on the 21st day of January 2020 and issued the following communique.
In a seven-point communique, the zone passed a vote of no confidence on the South-South zonal coordinator Mr Emmanuel Ibah who they accused of abdicated his duties and responsibilities as the representative of the Zone.
The communique signed by five of the 6 states FA chairmen that make up the region – 1. Barr Christopher Green, Rivers: Mr. Atuake Oswald, Cross Rivers; Barr. Poubeni O. Ogun; Bayelsa; Mr. Edema Fuludu, Delta and Hon. Henry O. Asemota, Edo says “As far as we are concerned, what the aforesaid persons have done is create, an artificial crisis, which they then relied on to constitute the Normalisation Committee with the sole design of installing Tony Okowa the Executive Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission as the Chairman of the Delta State Football Association.
“This, in our opinion, is a dangerous precedent that can only lead to undermining the supremacy of Congress.
“Relying on article 13 (1) (f) of the Statutes of the NFF, we request the NFF to immediately constitute an arbitration panel to resolve this dispute between the aforementioned persons and the Delta State Football Association.
“Pending the resolution of this issue, we the undersigned Chairmen of the Football Associations in the South South Zone of Nigeria shall boycott all NFF events.
“We are also disappointed with the actions of our zonal coordinator Mr. Emmanuel Ibah in the handling of this matter. He has abdicated his duties and responsibilities as the representative of the Zone.
“Consequently, we hereby pass a Vote of no confidence on him. Henceforth he ceases to represent the South South geopolitical zone in the NFF executive committee.”