JAJA EXPLAINS DECISION TO EMBRACE PEACE

FORMER president of the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA), Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, has revealed that he was swayed by the steps taken by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim, and the Supervising Minister of Sports/Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), Bolaji Abdullahi, to finally make peace with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Jaja revealed that despite the numerous pleas from officials of both the NFF and the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) not to execute the court order, which declared the two organisations illegal, he was forced to rethink his decision when he was approached by the two government officials.

The former chairman of Rivers State Electoral Commission noted that after listening to the two government officials, he decided to reconsider his decision and embrace peace with the federation.

Jaja, who was a member of the defunct Nigeria Football Association (NFA) executive board from 2002 to 2005, however, warned the NFF to keep to its own part of the agreement, stressing that the whole decision was taken because they wanted to save football from going extinct in the country.

'I was satisfied with my role and decision. I cannot say I won or lost anything because I was only fighting a just cause and I am happy I have made my point clear before Nigerians because what they did was like treating me like one that does not belong to this country,' he said.

'That was why I went to court and I am pleased with my efforts and the judgment I got from the Nigerian judiciary. For me, the judgment I got was more than enough; I did not even request for anything from the NFF after I was talked to by both the SGF and minister.

'It was the NFF which persuaded me to take the position of honorary member of the board, which it noted, is contained in the FIFA Statute, which in any case will make one a permanent member of the board.'