NFF crisis: Factional Congress Quashes Maigari’s Removal
The peace of the graveyard in the family of the Nigeria Football Federation was shattered on Thursday when 26 delegates, comprising almost all Northern State FA chairmen and representatives of other stakeholders rose from an all-night meeting, quashing the impeachment of Alhaji Aminu Maigari as president of the football federation.
Addressing journalists at a secret location in Maitama, Abuja, after security agents disrupted the parley scheduled for the early hours of Thursday at Serub Hotels, the Abia State FA Chairman, Sir E. C. Chukwuemeka, said that though the NFF board had cancelled the congress, they relied on the same communiqué that earlier convened it to meet and chart the way forward for Nigerian football.
The communiqué containing the signatory of 16 State FAs, Rivers State FA Vice chairman and nine other stakeholders, noted: “We the undersigned take particular note that the Executive Committee of the NFF allegedly approved the provisional dismissal (relying on the provisions of Article 34 (m) of the NFF statutes) of Alhaji Aminu Maigari from the NFF Executive Committee pending ratification by the next emergency General Assembly slatted for Thursday July 31 in Abuja and consequently resolved to mandate the first vice President, Chief Mike Okeke Umeh as acting President to preside over the affairs of the Federation, pending the composition of the new NFF Executive Committee until after the elections of August 26.
“We therefore noted and resolve that the purported dismissal (impeachment) did not follow the laid down legal procedures and conditions precedent as provided in Article 35(3) of the NFF status – Agenda for meetings and Article 37 of the NFF Statutes- Dismissal of a person or body.
“That a certain member of the NFF executive committee has publicly alleged the falsification and wrongful use of his signature on the purported impeachment document.
The allegation of financial misappropriation, misapplication and maladministration leveled against the NFF president Alhaji Aminu Maigari.
“However, we also note that pursuant to Article 28(j) of the NFF Statutes – approval of NFF financial statement by the General Assembly and Article 28(k) of the NFF Statute- approval of the NFF budget by the General Assembly; the Aminu Maigari-led NFF Executive Committee has at each Annual General Assembly (Kaduna 2011, Port Harcourt 2012 and Warri 2013) presented its consolidated annual audited accounts for the preceding year and proposed budget for the incoming year for approval by the congress. The most recent was the one held in November.
“There was no time during the AGA throughout those proceeding years did the NFF Finance Committee or the Internal Audit Committee or the External Auditors or the General Assembly raise any query with regards to the financial activities of the federation led by Maigari.
“To date, no member of the NFF Congress has been served with details of the motion of dismissal of Maigari along with the justification as required by Article 37 (2) of the NFF Statutes.
“In view of the foregoing, to reject in its entirety the alleged dismissal of the President of the NFF, Aminu Maigari and the appointment of an acting President of NFF, Chief Mike Umeh, the current Vice President of the NFF or any other person.”
