Igbokwe Writes FIFA Again -Condemns NFF’s Vote Against Arbitration -Giwa Threatens To Revive President Claim Fresh crises appears looming large for Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), as Ambassador Chris Giwa has threatened to revive his claim as the body’s president, while Barrister Leonard Ikechukwu (Iyke) Igbokwe is drawing out his sword once again over the contentious issue of arbitration for the round leather game. The Giwa-led ‘board’ of the NFF have stated that they will be resuming at the Glass House this week, ‘to fashion our plans and programs to reposition our football and get us back on track’. This they say is due to the NFF’s failure to set up an arbitration panel to hear the cases and petitions against the conduct of the September 30, 2014 elections that brought about the Pinnick board. After holding a meeting last Saturday in Abuja, the Giwa faction resolved to resume operations at the secretariat of the NFF on Thursday, January 15. On his part, the main antagonist in the raging saga against the election of Melvin Amaju Pinnick as NFF president, Barrister Igbokwe has written yet another letter to world soccer governing authority, FIFA, in which he condemned the national body’s reaction to his call for arbitration in the round leather game. In his letter dated January 12, 2015, in which he cited himself as a petitioner, the former general manager of Gabros International FC of Nnewi, Anambra State wrote in part: “It is with deep constraints that I write again to you this year on the lingering crisis bedeviling the Nigeria Football Federation. “Consequent upon your letter to me and which you copied the NFF where you declined jurisdiction in meddling with the internal workings of the NFF as well as advice without prejudice to your opinion that we should explore internal mechanism available in our system to resolve the logjam in the 30th of September, 2014 elections. “I without hesitation adhered strictly to this advice and within the ambit of the NFF statutes of 2010 did formally request using the provisions of Articles 68 and 69 for the creation of an Arbitration Tribunal to resolve our grievances. “I know as a matter of fact that two other aggrieved persons also requested for the creation of this Tribunal. It is important to state here that this is not the first time that aggrieved members of the NFF would have to resort to the creation of Arbitration Tribunal which was granted and used to determine and solve this kind of issues in the past and peace restored. “I was utterly shocked when it was announced that the Amaju Pinnick’s Board rejected our request for the setting up of an Arbitration Tribunal which is properly provided in articles 68 and 69 of the NFF statutes, 2010. “The NFF Arbitration Tribunal was used to settle football election matters between 2010 and 2011 as follows:1. The Nigerian Premier League Chairmanship Election between Chief Victor Rumson Baribote Vs Davidson Owumi arbitrated by Prof. Akin Ibidapo Obe. “2. The Nigerian National League Chairmanship Election between High Chief Emeka Inyama Vs Stephen Gyebogon arbitrated by Chief Victor Inyananem. “3. The Nigerian Women League Chairmanship Election between Chief Mrs. Dilichukwu Onyedinma Vs Aisha Falode arbitrated by the same Chief Victor Inyananem, 4. The Nigerian Amateur League Chairmanship Election between Alhaji Ahmed Muazu Kawu Vs Alhaji A.C. Ladan. “So, I do not understand why the Amaju Pinnick’s Board refused to set up the Arbitration Tribunal which is a statutory and mandatory provision under our football statutes. “The NFF Board does not have the authority or right to refuse to set up the Arbitration Tribunal as it is statutory and has been used in the above listed football election matters. “I request FIFA to now intervene into this matter and direct the NFF to set up an Arbitration Tribunal to immediately look into our just petitions into the conduct and processes of the September 30th, 2014 election of the NFF. “If FIFA does not wade in now to call Amaju Pinnick and his Board to order, I will be left with no alternative than to seek for help elsewhere.”
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 19:49:05 +0000
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