NFF members impeach Maigari, want contract with Keshi

By The Rainbow
NFF members impeach Maigari, want contract with  Keshi
NFF members impeach Maigari, want contract with Keshi

Alhaji Aminu Maigari
The forces against Alhaji Aminu Maigari eventually got him out of the Nigerian Football Federation, even with some Nigerians adjudge him one of the best federation chairman of recent times.

Members of the board of the Nigeria Football Federation on Thursday voted eight to five to kick him out of the coveted position of chief football administration office in the country.

He was accused of fraudulent financial dealings and maladministration, especially the poor handling of the Super Eagles World Cup bonus row in Brazil.

The decision was taken at an Executive Committee meeting of the federation which was held on Thursday in Abuja. The First Vice-president, Mike Umeh was mandated to act as president pending new elections on August 26, 2014.

Another significant undertaking of the committee was the agreement by the meeting which had all 13 members including Maigari in attendance to open up negotiation leading to contract renewal for Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi.

The decisions of the members were communicated through two separate communiqués signed by the finance committee chairman Alhaji Muazu Suleyman and media committee chairman Emeka Inyama.

The first statement read in part, “…After thorough and exhaustive deliberations on the uncalled-for secrecy surrounding all financial dealings of the Federation and failure to call meeting of the Executive Committee for the past eight (8) months, during which so many weighty decisions on Nigeria football had been taken by a small cabal within the Board, the Executive Committee passed a vote of no confidence on the NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari.

“In view of the above, the Committee approved the immediate dismissal of Alhaji Aminu Maigari, from the NFF Executive Committee on grounds of financial misappropriation, misapplication and maladministration.

“The Committee resolved to mandate the First Vice President, Chief Mike Umeh as Acting President, to preside over the affairs of the Federation, pending the composition of the new NFF Executive Committee after the elections of Tuesday, 26th August, 2014.”

The members also agreed to hold an Emergency Congress in Abuja on July 31 to ratify the impeachment of Maigari.

It will be realled that Nigeria narrowly escaped the hammer of the world football ruling body FIFA when it tried to forcibly remove Maigari through the instrumentality of court ruling.

FIFA had suspended Nigeria from all international programmes, with an ultimatum to rescind the sack order within a stipulated period of get FIFA ban.

But with the case was withdrawn from a Jos High Court by the Baribotes, FIFA lifted the suspension and staved the outright ban..

“Henceforth, all financial issues with players and officials must be thoroughly deliberated upon and agreed ahead of major matches and competitions, to avoid the kind of embarrassment brought upon the nation at the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil,” the Nigerian football house said in the communiqué.

On Keshi, members directed the Technical Sub-Committee to open discussion with Super Eagles coach, Keshi, with a view to extending his contract. The Technical Sub-Committee is to report back to the Executive Committee within one week. The contract of Keshi ran out with the 2014 World Cup.

The NFF said that every opportunity would be explored to enable the Eagles play a friendly match on the FIFA window of August 13 as part of preparations for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches.

Reports indicate that Keshi want to earn double of what he earned in his first contract. He earned N5 million under the expired contract.

While Nigerians almost unanimously endorse keshi, he should let to know his mistakes and ensure that they do not recur in under his new contract.