On Monday, August 6, the minister of Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung inaugurated a 6-man NFF Elders Stakeholders Committee charged with the responsibility of resolving the lingering leadership crisis in the Nigeria Football Federation.
Although the inauguration of the committee has been met with pessimism, it is not strong enough to drown the high optimism among major stakeholders.
Most stakeholders are of the view that the committee of eminent Nigerian football administrators would succeed where others had failed.
It will be recalled that beginning from September 2014, close to four years now, two football administrators, Amaju Pinnick and Chris Giwa have laid claim to the leadership of the NFF.
While Pinnick has the full backing of the world football governing body, FIFA, Giwa is holding tenaciously to the order of Jos High Court which had nullified the Warri election that produced Pinnick and reinstated him as the authentic president of the football federation.
Although the matter had dragged up to the Supreme Court, the apex court on April 27, 2018 ordered that the case should return to the Jos High Court for speedy re-trial.
Based on the orders of the highest court in the land and supported by the sports ministry, Giwa took over the NFF secretariat while Pinnick was away at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Thus, Giwa took full charge of the glasshouse momentarily before he was ‘chased out’ by operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, to pave way for the return to office of the Pinnick led NFF.
It was in the midst of this confusion that the minister who had tried fruitlessly to settle the two factions decided to set up the committee of six elders to look into the matter.
To give credibility to the committee, the minister appointed highly respected former chairmen of the then NFA, Col. Abdulmumuni Aminu (rtd) as Chairman of the committee to be assisted in the task by Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima.
Other members of the committee are a former NFA chairman, Anthony Kojo Willaims, former board members, Prof. Onye Gye-Wado, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja and a former General Secretary of the NFF, Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba.
The committee which was given two weeks to submit its report to the minister is mandated to identify the causes of the current leadership crisis in the NFF, evaluate the dimensions of the crisis and bring the two factions to the reconciliation table.
Owing to the magnitude of the assignment, the committee swung into action immediately it was inaugurated. Interestingly, a member of the committee told SHOT! that the committee was through with preliminary investigations and would soon invite the two gladiators for discussions.
As stated earlier, while most football stakeholders are of the view that the minister has done the right thing by bringing in such eminent football administrators to help settle the NFF leadership crisis, some are of the view that the exercise would end in futility.
For instance, a former Director of Sports in Katsina State, Alhaji Aliyu Kofar-Soro told SHOT! that what the minister has done is like putting the cart before the horse.
According to him, as long as Pinnick and Giwa are still battling in court, the committee might end up fetching water with a basket.
“I am aware that the minister has inaugurated a committee to ensure peaceful resolution of the lingering crisis in the NFF.
“My question is, have the warring factions agreed to settle the matter out of court? If they haven’t, why doesn’t the minister wait until the court process takes its full course?
“I am afraid this committee made up of reputable Nigerians may not succeed in its assignment. Once again, the cart has been put before the horse,” he opined.
However, a former NFF presidential candidate, Hon. Lumumba Dah Adeh as he said the assignment given to the ‘wise-men’ of Nigerian football is not a waste of time.
“There is no wasted effort in any reconciliatory move. Whatever it is worth, everybody agrees and appreciates that there is crisis in Nigerian football.
“And if the two parties to the crisis had no platform on which to sit and discuss, this certainly provides them the platform. So no effort would be wasted no matter the outcome
“I believe that it a step in the right direction. If such step had been taken before now, probably we would have gotten over the crisis,” he noted.
Speaking in the same vein, a former Secretary General of the then NFA, Alhaji Ahmed Sani Toro also agreed that the committee of elder stakeholders in Nigerian football is a step in the right direction.
“No it cannot be a wasted effort when you truly want to reconcile aggrieved parties. It cannot be. Even the two major religions in the country allow for reconciliation.
“Moreover, we are not tampering with the court order. What we are doing is to see the possibility of resolving the crisis out of court.
“It all depends, if Giwa insists on the court order or he accepts to compromise which will be good for Nigerian football.
“I know the calibre of members of the committee. They are equal to the task. They will call the factions to a round table to see what they can do,” he noted.
Toro therefore said even some of the resolutions passed by the Pinnick led NFF at its recently held extra-ordinary congress in Benin-City are reconciliatory moves.
“Even Pinnick has realised that this is give and take as was demonstrated at their last congress in Benin.
“You can see what they did by saying they will unban Giwa and allow his club to participate in the league. It is part of the reconciliation.
“I believe the committee will succeed. Don’t forget Col. Aminu is there, Galadima is also there. These are completely neutral gentle men.
“Nigerians should please appreciate this committee and give it a chance,” he said.
In an earlier interview with SHOT!, a key member of the committee, Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima also expressed optimism that the situation in Nigerian football is not irredeemable.
“The point is nothing is beyond redemption. All we need is sincerity on the part of all who are involved in the matter.
“There is no harm in trying. We shall do our best. If we succeed fine, even if we fail, our conscience will then be clear. At least we would know that we have tried our best to resolve the crisis,” he said.
Meanwhile, as the battle between Pinnick and Giwa rages, football in Nigeria is suffering the same way the grass suffers when two elephants fight.
The Nigerian Professional Football League and the National League are suspended indefinitely by organisers and nobody can tell when they would resume.
