President of the Nigeria Football Federation and FIFA Council Member, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick on Monday inaugurated the local organizing committee of the Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Tournament, saying that values of integrity, diligence, hard work, probity, and pursuit of excellence should be the body’s watchwords.
“I want to emphasize the need for this committee to always be conscious of the name attached to this tournament. The name of Mrs. Aisha Buhari, First Lady of the Federal Republic, which is attached to this competition stands for decency, uprightness, and patriotism. We should organize a tournament that upholds all these virtues and also
gives credence to the stature of Nigeria as a nation of intelligent, knowledgeable, and enterprising people.
“I enjoin you to work in close collaboration with the Lagos State Government. We will also be doing everything to uphold accountability, so your committee will have to work with NFF’s auditing and financial advisers, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Financial Derivatives respectively. The NFF and the Nigeria Football family expect the best from you. I inaugurate you on behalf of the NFF Executive Committee and the Nigeria Football Congress.”
Pinnick also disclosed that the tournament will be an annual event.
Responding, Chairman of the LOC, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, assured that the committee will work assiduously towards raising the needed funds for a successful organization of the tournament, and also put in place a structure that will engender diligence and probity, with close attention to details and accent on proactivity.
“I am enamored by the caliber of persons in this committee and I have confidence that we will deliver a tournament to be proud of. It is important to use this tournament to create one more positive narrative about our country’s ability to deploy its teeming human and material resources to make a statement.”
The committee immediately appointed Mr. Ademola Olajire as the Director of Publicity.
Present at the inauguration which was done virtually were Mr. Pinnick, Barr Akinwunmi, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi (NFF General Secretary), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau (Member), Ms. Aisha Falode (Director of Organization), Mrs. Amina Daura (Deputy Director of Organization), Hon. Ayo Omidiran (Member), Rt. Hon. Margaret Icheen (Member), AIG Umar Baba (Member), Dr. Mohammed Kamal (Member), Mr. Ademola Olajire (Member), Miss Kemi Areola (Member), Mrs. Chisom Ezeoke (Member), Ms. Ese Okpomo (Member), Mrs. Ufuoma McDermott (Member), Mr Olayinka Olagbemiro (Member), Mr Kola Daniel (Member), Ms. Ruth David (Secretary) and Mallam Mohammed Ameenu.
