The Chairmen of the Football Associations in the South South zone of Nigeria met at Port-Harcourt Rivers State on the 21st day of January 2020 and issued the following communique.
1). It has come to our attention that the President of the NFF Mr. Amaju Pinnick, the Chairman of Chairmen Mr Ibrahim Gusau and the South South zonal coordinator Mr Emmanuel Ibah relying on Article 8 (2) of FIFA Statutes 2019 has set up a Normalisation Committee to manage the affairs of the Delta State Football Association.
2). It is our firm view that in the absence of any crisis in Delta State Football Association prior to the constitution of this Normalisation Committee, and in addition to the fact that the said Article 8 (2) has not been adopted by the Congress of the Nigeria Football Federation, their reliance on the said Article 8 (2) of the FIFA Statutes is misplaced.
3). As far as we are concerned, what the aforesaid persons have done is create, an artificial crisis, which they then relied on to constitute the Normalisation Committee with the sole design of installing Tony Okowa the Executive Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission as the Chairman of the Delta State Football Association.
4). This, in our opinion, is a dangerous precedent that can only lead to undermining the supremacy of Congress.
5). Relying on article 13 (1) (f) of the Statutes of the NFF, we request the NFF to immediately constitute an arbitration panel to resolve this dispute between the aforementioned persons and the Delta State Football Association.
6). Pending the resolution of this issue, we the undersigned Chairmen of the Football Associations in the South South Zone of Nigeria shall boycott all NFF events.
7). We are also disappointed with the actions of our zonal coordinator Mr. Emmanuel Ibah in the handling of this matter. He has abdicated his duties and responsibilities as the representative of the Zone.
Consequently, we hereby pass a Vote of no confidence on him. Henceforth he ceases to represent the South South geopolitical zone in the NFF executive committee.
Signed:
1. Barr Christopher Green. – Rivers
2. Mr. Atuake Oswald. – C/Rivers
3. Barr. Poubeni O. Ogun. – Bayelsa
4. Mr. Edema Fuludu. – Delta
5. Hon. Henry O. Asemota. – Edo
