The Amaju Pinnick-led Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is back to the federation’s secretariat to direct affairs in earnest, NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi announced on Monday.
Sanusi who also said he had returned to his duties in the federation’s secretariat at Wuse in Abuja told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) the situation was now under control.
This is even as the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung warned that nothing has changed since the Supreme Court ruling and Orders of the Federal High Court in Jos on the Nigeria Football Federation on April 27, 2018.
NAN reports that the atmosphere at the secretariat’s Wuse Zone 7 offices was calm as staff went about their duties.
A number of Department of State Services (DSS) officials, who were reported to have taken over the premises some minutes earlier, were also seen on duty.
“I am back to my office, and the Pinnick-led board is back,’’ Sanusi told NAN.
“When the DSS officials came in, they refused to allow anyone to enter the premises. But I came in and spoke with the staff and urged them to be law-abiding.
“I told them to bear in mind that they are civil servants and should not get involved in the politics. Thereafter, I ushered all into their offices and everyone is going about their duties,’’ he added.
Earlier this month, the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, had urged the NFF to comply with a Supreme Court order on Chris Giwa’s 2014 election.
The minister had insisted that the directive was a reaction to a written notification by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice asking the Sports Ministry to ensure compliance.
The development has since prompted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to warn that Nigeria risked being made to face the sanctions the world governing body may apply.
Asked if he could see if there was a contradiction in federal government’s actions on the matter, Sanusi said: “I don’t think that there is any contradiction in government’s actions in this matter.
“If government had given directives (earlier), we would not have been where we are’’.
He however assured that the situation was not going to affect the development and organisation of football in the country.
“By the grace of God, we are going to do everything humanly possible to move the game forward, and I have always said that honesty is the best policy.
“Whatever you are doing, you have to stand by the truth because posterity will judge you’’.
Dalung, however, said in a statement that the status quo remains.
“As far as I am concerned, nothing has changed. There is no development after the Supreme Court ruling of April 27, 2018 and the Federal High Court Order of 5th June 2018 because the court has not vacated the order.
“Those who are presently trying to instigate confusion, using the name of the President must be aware that the President cannot go against the rule of law. The Order issued by the court has not been vacated and the President cannot vacate a court order because there are clear cut processes of doing that.
“What happened in the NFF today is security excesses but it will be sorted out. The Federal government is urging members of the public to remain calm as it is doing its best to resolve the crises in the Nigeria Football Federation.
“The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has already initiated a process of trying to bring the stakeholders together, to work out a road map out of this quagmire. The Stakeholders’ meeting billed for Tuesday July 24, 2018 will still go ahead as planned.
“We want to assure Nigerians that Government is sorting out the grey areas but nobody should drag the name of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria into this. The President is an advocate of the Rule of Law and he cannot be associated with the security excesses of a breach of the Rule of Law.
‘’We urge the civil servants in the federation to remain calm and go about their normal duties.’’