Giwa’s case dominated NFF’s Extra-Ordinary General Congress that held in Benin City. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have threatened to ban any member that takes any case to the ordinary court and have also ordered Chris Giwa to dismiss all its cases against the federation. The NFF have been in turmoil over a case from self-acclaimed leader Giwa who claims that he is the president of the football body. Giwa on Monday, July 2 assumed office as the substantive president of the NFF, citing Supreme Court order overturned the election of NFF president Amaju Pinnick.He has however been kicked out while Pinnick as since resumed his office as the president of the NFF. To avoid future occurrences, the NFF have ruled that they will ban of their member who takes any case to the ordinary court and have also ordered Giwa to dismiss his pending cases. Extra-Ordinary GeneralThese were some of the resolutions made at the Extra-Ordinary General Congress that held on Thursday, August 2 in Benin. “The Congress unanimously resolved that henceforth any member of the football family that takes any football matter to the ordinary courts of law would be automatically expelled from all football activities with immediate effect from the date of filing such proceedings or lawsuit,” one of the resolutions at the General Assembly stated. The Congress also resolved that any of NFF’s stakeholder including Giwa and his collaborators, with a pending court case to retrace their steps and reconcile with the football family after dismissing all pending Court cases against NFF and its leadership, within two weeks.The Congress also resolved that Giwa must “file affidavits in court to affirm to be bound by and uphold the football statutes and, undertake not to take any football matter to court but, to resolve any disputes and/or grievances within the available alternative dispute resolutions mechanism enshrined in the football statutes.”The Congress also empowered the NFF Executive Committee unbanning Giwa and his collaborators if he fully complies. The NFF Executive Committee have also been cleared to permit the registration of Giwa FC to commence participation in the 2018 Nigeria National League if the club is ready to play in the lower division. The Jos-based club was in May 2016 banned from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) due to a breach of NPFL Framework & Rules as they failed to honour three cumulative fixtures without acceptable reason.The assembly was held with the sole agenda to review the current situation of Nigerian Football and come up with recommendations and solutions to protect and promote the integrity of Association Football in Nigeria.The congress affirmed that the NFF is governed only by the Status of the NFF and FIFA which all their member must respect and uphold. “The rules of Association Football (NFF and FIFA Statutes) which strictly forbids any member from taking football matters to ordinary courts of law, rather provides internal mechanisms within the football statutes to resolve any disputes and/ or grievances of any member. Indeed, it is a precondition and obligation for all FIFA members to agree to these simple principles as a condition for membership of FIFA and/or participation in FIFA events and programs. In view of this, every genuine stakeholder in Association Football has the obligation to abide by these rules and regulations and follow the laid out processes to ventilate any grievances,” one of the resolutions stated. The congress also affirmed the validation of the NFF elections that held in September 2014 which voted Pinnick into office as the president of the federation. “Therefore, there is no basis or foundation for the current court actions in the Federal High Court, Jos in Suit no FHC/J/CS/177/2014 over the same matter as it is clearly ultra vires to football rules and regulations,” the NFF stated in their communique for the extraordinary general assembly. The Congress also mandated the NFF Electoral Committee to “review the ongoing NFF electoral processes, guidelines and reopen the process for any qualified interested stakeholder to participate.
