By Albert Akota
Peace has gradually returned to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as Chief Mike Umeh, acting president and Emeka Inyama led faction of the NFF’s executive committee has resolved to sheath their sword and work with the reinstated president of the NFF, Aminu Maigari.
Minister of Sports and Chairman National Sports Commission (NSC), DR. Tammy Danagogo last weekend cleared Maigari to reclaim his position as head of the NFF following letter from the world soccer ruling body, FIFA.
Maigari who arrived at the Glass House at exactly 11:45 Am yesterday in convoy of arms heavy security personnel from Department of State Security (DSS) and Nigerian Police to reclaim his seat, initially met stiff resistance from Umeh-led faction, who insisted that his impeachment from the board still stand.
Three hours later after a private meeting with Maigari, Umeh addressed press that he has withdrew his earlier statement that the impeachment of Maigari as NFF president still stand, saying the board will hold meeting today to resolve all the issues affecting football.
“Whatever I am saying now superseded what I said earlier. I have discussed with Maigari and we have resolve to work together to move Nigeria football forward.
“At our ages, we can’t fight each other because when two Elephants fighting, it is the grass that suffers and we don’t want football to suffer,” he said.
The Chief Mike Umeh-led executive committee of the NFF, had insisted that their president would not be allowed to return to office under any guise hence their resolution to continue to resist him because FIFA should not dictate to Nigeria how to run her football.
A member of the Umeh group, Emeka Inyama said yesterday that they had concluded arrangements to hold a meeting today at the NFF secretariat to further plan on how to move football forward even as he advised Alhaji Maigari to forget about returning to office.
The board member who was visibly angry at the turn of event insisted that the Minister cannot dictate for them on how manage football.
“It is unfortunate that the minister decided to tell Maigari to take over the NFF without involving us. This is indirect interference from government,” he said.
Meanwhile, the reinstated president has assured Nigerians that he has return to move football forward.
“We are member of the great family-football. The whole thing is part of life; it comes with the turbulence in life.
“I want all and every member of the board knows that we are colleagues,” he said.
On his purported resignation, he said: “If I resigned I won’t be here. I am here to take football to the next level.
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