Posted by Oluwole Josiah, Abuja on
Few hours to the end of the three-year tenure of the Ibrahim Galadima-led Nigeria Football Association Board, state football association chairmen are due in Abuja this morning for an emergency meeting.
Few hours to the end of the three-year tenure of the Ibrahim Galadima-led Nigeria Football Association Board, state football association chairmen are due in Abuja this morning for an emergency meeting. The NFA has failed to call a congress of the General Assembly.
The congress has as its major agenda the consideration of the guidelines for the elections into the board of NFA as amended by the Ministry of Sports and Social Development.
But the chairmen of the associations have vowed to storm Abuja for the congress with or without any formal declaration from NFA secretariat convening the congress.
Our correspondent learnt on Sunday that NFA Chairman, Galadima, was expected to call the congress which was earlier scheduled for November 28, but had failed to do so.
A member of the out-going board, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, when contacted on the congress, said he was not competent to speak on the matter, adding that since it was a policy issue, it would be the burden of the Galadima to speak on it.
Several attempts made to reach Galadima on phone failed as his mobile set indicated that it was switched off.
It was however learnt that in spite of the lack of communication by NFA on the congress, football associations, insisting on the congress, have made bookings at the Ibro Hotel, Abuja ahead of the meeting on Monday.
It was also established that the congress could hold without the presence of the NFA board members if the delegates attained a two-third majority and decisions reached would be adjudged valid.
The former Secretary-General of NFA and Chairman of the Osun State Football Association, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi, told our correspondent in a telephone interview that he was told that the congress would hold on Monday, but was yet to get any further briefing from the NFA.
He however said he would be arriving Abuja for the congress inspite of the uncertainty surrounding the meeting, hoping that the congress would hold as planned.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Minister of Sports, Mr. Charles Chikezie, said he was not aware of the arrangement by the NFA on the congress, even though the minister had directed the FA to convene the meeting.
According to him, until the minister resumes office on Monday morning it would be difficult to ascertain if the football house had communicated anything on the congress to the minister.
THE PUNCH, Monday, November 28, 2005