Chris Giwa Of Giwa FC Elected President Of The Nigerian Football Federation...

Proprietor of Giwa FC of Jos, Chris Giwa was yesterday elected as the president of the Nigeria football Federation (NFF) by a faction of the congress  at the Chida International Hotel, Abuja.

Its not surprising that the camp of the opposition in the person of Mike Umeh disagreed with the result saying:

“How can they say there was an election when the congress was not supposed to be for an election. Secondly, who would have voted when people walked out of the hall? 

We agreed that there would be no elections only charting a new road for the election’, but Giwa  won with 27 votes while his rival and immediate past acting president, Chief Mike Umeh scored just two votes.

Meanwhile, events took a dangerous twist when the congress of the Nigeria football federation broke into two, following the alleged arrest of the immediate past president of the federation, Alhaji Aminu   Maigari, former chairman of the technical committee Barr. Chris Green and the General Secretary, Barr. Musa Amadu by operatives from the Department of State Security (DSS).

Delegates had arrived at the Chida International Hotel , venue of the congress and did their accreditation but when they failed to see the trio, they started making enquiries on their whereabouts. 

They later discovered that they had been picked by DSS operatives. They headed to the offices of the DSS but they were intercepted by some security operatives who ordered them to return to the hotel to continue their meeting. They refused and instead decided to stay by the roadside with the security men who also elected to stay with them.

However, at about 6.15 pm, the Minister and Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Dr. Tamuno Danagogo arrived the Chida Hotel venue in company of the General Secretary, Musa Amadu.

Declaring the meeting open, Danagogo charged the members to realize that the interest of the country should be paramount adding that no one individual should be allowed to hold the entire nation to ransom.

“It is well known to all of us here that in recent times all has not been well with Nigerian football. We have seen the impeachment of the president of the NFF and his reinstatement and as concerned stakeholders we have been talking, trying to find a way to resolve the issue amicably.

“It is also true that it is only one person that can become the president of the NFF at a time. We will also say it that it is not right for one individual to hold the entire nation to ransom. I will not do that and as minister I will also not condone that. Therefore, it is your duty as a congress to correct all the anomalies today’.

He also spoke on the letter of resignation which the former president submitted to his office saying he decided to keep it because as a gentleman, he expected that all the parties concerned should keep to that very agreement

“We have done everything possible as a ministry and as a government to bring peace to the NFF, there is no doubt that there is a problem and there is a faction. There is nobody that I cannot work with as a minister, whether it is Umeh or Ogunjobi or Amanze or Mainasara.

Responding on behalf of the congress, the chairman of Enugu state FA, Chidi Offor-Okenwa said they will continue to work for the growth of Nigerian football.

Source: Vanguard