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NFF bans Giwa, four others, from football activities for five years; permits MIkel, Musa for Yobo Testimonial
Giwa, Suleyman, Fema, Adama and Johnson have been laying claims to the leadership of the NFF, saying they are the duly elected custodians of the game in the country.
This is also the NFF said it will allow the Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi as well as former captain, Ahmed Musa to participate at the forthcoming testimonial match for a former captain and the national team’ s most capped member, Joseph Yobo.
While announcing the five-year ban, the NFF committee said it arrived at the decision after reviewing the six-count charges against the five, which include that they illegally represented the federation in breach of article 40 of the NFF statutes, “when they without due authorisation and mandate purported to contract a law firm, Messrs Leslie Cohen and Associates of Illovo Law Chambers, 4 Fricker Road, Ground Floor, South Africa in the name of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and refused to pay for services whereby the said Messrs Leslie Cohen and Associates commenced proceedings against the NFF for the sum of $100, 000 being legal fees for professional services rendered in the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Local Division, Johannesburg.”
The committee also said that Giwa, Suleyman, Adama, Fema and Effiong breached “article 69 (1) of the NFF statutes by taking football matters to the ordinary court and failing to submit to the jurisdiction of FIFA and the federation;
“(3) That there is insufficient particulars and evidence submitted to establish the charge of threats, unguarded, uncouth and uncivilized statements in the media against the NFF, brought against Christopher Giwa, Muazu Suleyman, Yahaya Adama, Sani Fema and Johnson Effiong:
“(4) That Christopher Giwa is guilty of breach of the general rules of conduct as contained in article 13 of the FIFA code of ethics when he invaded the premises of the Nigeria Football Federation and falsely presented himself as President of the NFF on May 6, 2016;
“(5) That Christopher Giwa, Muazu Suleyman, Yahaya Adama, Sani Fema and Johnson Effiong are found guilty of failing to comply fully with the statutes, regulations, directives and decisions of FIFA and NFF in contravention of article 13 1(a) of NFF Statutes 2010 in relation to the NFF Election held in Warri Delta State on September 30, 2014; and
“(6) That Christopher Giwa, Muazu Suleyman, Yahaya Adama, Sani Fema and Johnson Effiong are in breach of fiduciary and loyalty as contained in article 15 of FIFA Code of Ethics 2012 by carrying out various deliberate acts and conducts capable of attracting a ban from FIFA on the NFF capable of putting the administration and development of football in Nigeria into jeopardy.”
Members of the NFF disciplinary Committee include; Prof. Olufemi Adegbesan (Vice-Chairman), Adamu Sani Osmond, Kelvin Omuojine and Christian Emeruwa.
Meanwhile, the NFF has said it will allow Super Eagles’ captain John Mikel Obi and his assistant, Ahmed Musa to be part of the Joseph Yobo Testimonial Game planned for the Akwa Ibom State capital, Uyo on May 27.
“The NFF leadership has decided that Mikel (Obi) and (Ahmed) Musa should be excused from the two friendly matches in Europe so that they can honour Joseph Yobo, who is having his testimonial game on the same Friday, 27th May that we are playing Mali in Rouen, France.
“The two players have been communicated accordingly,” NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, confirmed to thenff.com yesterday. Nigeria will play Mali in Rouen on 27th May and then take on Luxembourg in Luxembourg on the first day of June.
Yobo’s testimonial, to which he has invited several players from outside the country as well as Super Eagles’ players of his generation, has now been moved from Port Harcourt to the magnificent Akwa Ibom Stadium, Uyo.
Joseph Yobo represented Nigeria at both U-20 and senior levels, captaining the Super Eagles at the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups and featuring in six Africa Cup of Nations finals. He won a century of caps for the senior team, with his last match being the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 defeat by France in Brasilia in 2014.
