- As FG okays Pinnick-led NFF board
Amidst contending views from Nigerian football stakeholders, the world soccer governing body, FIFA, has put on hold its planned ban of Nigeria from participating in global football activities.
FIFA’s decision to backtrack on its earlier stand to slam Nigeria with the suspension hammer by 12noon on Monday, August 20, 2018 was contained in a statement issued from the body headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland on Thursday.
The statement said; “FIFA received confirmations that the legitimate leadership of the NFF under President Amaju Melvin Pinnick and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi has been given back effective control of the NFF and its offices.”
Accordingly, the statement added; “In view of these circumstances, FIFA deems that the conditions set by the decision of the Bureau of the FIFA Council have now been met and consequently the suspension of the NFF will not take effect.”
The statement however confirmed that FIFA would continue to closely monitor the situation in order to ensure that its rules and regulations are fully adhered to by Nigeria.
FIFA had on Wednesday, August 14, 2018 warned that Nigeria risk a suspension from football activities globally if its offices are not handed over back to the rightful executives led by Amaju Pinnick as at 12:00 (CET) on Monday.
Interestingly, the NFF Secretariat, popularly called the Glass House, had recently been occupied at different times by both the Chris Giwa and Pinnick factions of the federation’s Congress.
The unhealthy development was regrettably orchestrated by personnel of the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) until this official endorsement of the Pinnick-led board by the Federal Government. – With agency reports
