NFF crisis over as Giwa ‘steps aside’

The General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Musa Amadu, has said the two-month-old leadership tussle rocking the federation is over.

The federation has been rocked by leadership crisis for months.

Chris Giwa, who has contested the presidency with FIFA-recognised Aminu Maigari, is said to have agreed to give up his claim ahead of a deadline by the global governing body Monday.

The Maigari-led board resumed duties Monday as the crisis subsided.

Mr. Amadu, the secretary, returned to his office at the Glass House in Abuja on Monday. His return was predicated on a FIFA letter, which directed the Maigari-led board to return to preside over a fresh election.

Mohammed Sanusi, the NFA Director of Competition and Idris Adama, the Director of Marketing, returned to office with Mr. Amadu.

Mr. Giwa and his board members were not in office when Mr. Amadu and his team returned to assume duty.

Mr. Amadu told newsmen that his return would help put an end to the current leadership crisis in the association.

“I think that my being here today is to send a message that Nigerian football have to move forward; we will put the crisis behind us and come together to move football forward,” he said.

“We need to make sacrifices collectively and individually to move on and any person who is patriotic will not hesitate to give peace a chance.

“We were obviously told to do certain things by today and part of it is for us to run the affairs of the game without any hindrance.

“I am happy to say that we have come and met a very peaceful house; the staff are happy to be here and they are going about their businesses without any hindrance.

“This is a good omen and good sign of things to come. We want to appeal to everybody to please give peace a chance,” Mr. Amadu said.

The NFA scribe also said that an extraordinary congress would hold within the shortest possible time to give a roadmap for election into the NFA board.

He said situation report would be communicated to FIFA at the end of the day.

On the AFCON qualifiers, Mr. Amadu said efforts would be made to ensure that Nigeria wins the remaining matches.

“These five matches we have, three away and two home, must be taken very seriously, beginning with the match against South Africa on Wednesday.

“Sudan and South Africa are must win games; this is a wakeup call. We are too complacent; the Red Devils had us for a dinner instead of the result going the other way.

“I believe we will do everything possible as African champions to qualify; just yesterday, little known Albania went to Portugal and defeated them.

“I am confident that we have learnt a big lesson and that will make us fight hard to qualify in our group,” he said. (NAN)