NFF Members Impeach Maigari, Approve Keshi

The members of the board of the Nigeria Football Federation have impeached the President of the federation Alhaji Aminu Maigari. The former president was accused wrong financial dealings and maladministration.

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.

The meeting which had all 13 members including Maigari in attendance also agreed 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.

The first move to forcibly remove Maigari through the court failed as the world football governing body FIFA suspended Nigeria from all international programmes. FIFA lifted the ban after the case was withdrawn from a Jos High Court.

The communiqué added that, “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 members then mandated 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 former Eagles captain had expressed his desire to earn double what he earned during the first deal with the federation. The coach earned N5m monthly through the period.

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.

Source:punchng.com