The leadership of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) may have resolved to send a delegation to Nigeria to assess the situation on ground before taking further action on the proposed Interim Board for the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.
Only last week, the erstwhile President of the NFF and the General Secretary, Ibrahim Gusau and Dr. Mohammed Sanusi respectively, alongside all the board members resigned.
The mass resignation of the board members led to the appointment of an Interim General Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme.
The National Sports Commission (NSC) is also considering constituting an Harmonization Committee that will pilot the affairs of the NFF in the interim pending the election of the new NFF board.
Consequently, the NSC chairman, Shehu Dikko, on Tuesday, led a delegation to the FIFA Headquarters in Zurich, to brief the world football officials on the situation in Nigeria with a view to getting approval to constitute an Harmonization Committee.
On the delegation were the DG of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade; former NFF President and ex-FIFA Council Member Amaju Pinnick, NFF Acting. General Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme and; NFF’s Director of Legal Services, Okey Obi, CAF 2nd Vice President Kurt-Okraku and FIFA’s Director of Member Associations (Africa), Gelson Fernandes.
But, Prompt News gathered that the delegation could not however get approval for the immediate composition of an interim harmonization committee being proposed.
It was gathered that FIFA top officials declined to endorse the immediate composition of an interim committee, but opted to send a delegation to Nigeria for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.
It was also learnt that the FIFA delegation would hold consultations with the relevant football stakeholders in Nigeria, with a view to having clearer understanding of the circumstances surrounding the mass resignation of the NFF board members.
“It is important to emphasise that FIFA, as the world governing body for association football, operates within a clearly defined regulatory framework governed by its Statutes and other applicable regulations.
“Matters relating to the administration and governance of member associations are therefore expected to be addressed strictly in accordance with these established rules and principles.
“Consequently, the resolution of the current situation within the NFF will ultimately have to conform to FIFA’s Statutes, regulations and established governance procedures,” a source in Zurich told Prompt News.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu, had also recently directed a comprehensive reform of Nigerian football.
A statement by Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated that “The reform must respond to a longstanding need to strengthen governance, administration, stakeholder representation, development pathways, domestic competitions and accountability across Nigerian football.”
President Tinubu also directed the NSC to work with the NFF Secretariat and relevant football stakeholders to ensure continuity in essential football administration and facilitate a broad, consultative reform process.
