Posted by From Madu Onuorah, Abuja on
THE Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved the repeal of Decree 101 which puts the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) under the Ministry of Sports and by implication the Minister of Sports.
THE Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved the repeal of Decree 101 which puts the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) under the Ministry of Sports and by implication the Minister of Sports.
Also yesterday, the incumbent Minister of Sports and Social Development, Colonel Musa Mohammed (rtd), told State House Correspondents that he never received any letter from the Federation of International de Football Association (FIFA), threatening sanctions against Nigeria over the decree.
Mohammed stated after a Council meeting yesterday that the repeal of the decree was the outcome of a committee set up to study the implications of Decree 101 for football development in the country.
The committee, headed by former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sports, Alhaji Babayo Shehu, also studied the organisation of the Nigeria Football Associa`tion (NFA).
According to the minister, the committee identified 53 major amendments to the decree, noting that the draft copy of the new soccer governing body was fully discussed with officials of FIFA at its headquarters in Zurich.
Highlights of the proposed amendments include:
re-designation of the name of the football ruling body from Nigeria Football Association (NFA) to Nigeria Football Federation (NFF);
the new structure would provide for a Secretary-General, two deputy secretary-generals and several assistant secretary-generals who will man the departments in the secretariat;
the new law removes the power of the Minister of Sports to give directive to the NFF. It also empowers the NFF to appoint the Secretary-General and other officials of the secretariat.
The name of the Draft bill is Repeal of Decree 101 for Nigeria Football Association and Replacement with New Act to provide for the Nigeria Football Federation Congress Executive Committee and other matters connected.
According to Mohammed: "Hitherto, the Minister (of Sports) used to appoint the Secretary-General of NFA. Now, in the new law, the chairman of NFA, now the President of Nigeria Football Federation has the power to appoint the Secretary-General. So a lot of things have changed and we believe it's for the better and in line with what FIFA wants in the world of Football."
FIFA specifically wants Col. Mohammed to reverse a December 23 decision sacking erstwhile NFA Secretary-General, Taiwo Ogunjobi and 10 members of the former NFA.
The body also insists that the appointment of Salisu Abubakar by the minister as the head of the professional league committee and Segun Odegbami as Ogunjobi's replacement be rendered null and void.
FIFA in its letter to the NFA argued that the move by the minister "constitutes governmental interference" and violates Article 17 of FIFA statutes.
The regulatory body also notes that the move was in contrast to a gentlemanly agreement between FIFA president and the sports minister that in return for the extension of an earlier deadline by the body, Decree 101 would be repealed and not used by FIFA pending its former repeal.
"Having shown trust and good faith in his discussion with the minister as well as understanding with the deadline of December 31 in the light of the constitutional process of Nigeria and the time necessary to modify such act/decree, FIFA was not expecting to see such decisions being taken only a few days after a meeting of the executive committing during which satisfaction was expressed regarding the positive trend of the situation in NFA," the body wrote.
FIFA had earlier given Nigeria a December 31 deadline to repeal Decree 101, but soft-pedalled when the Sports Minister and Galadima visited FIFA office in Zurich to request for more time.