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A fresh ban by the world football governing body, FIFA may be hanging on Nigeria as the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Barrister Solomon Dalung on Monday ordered the incumbent Amaju Pinnick-led NFF executive committee to give way to that led by Chris Giwa in compliance with a Supreme Court ruling.
In a statement signed by the minister’s special adviser on media, Nneka Anibeze, the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports development directed the Nigeria Football Federation, a parastatal under it, to comply with the judgment of the Supreme Court delivered on April 27, 2018, which restored the orders of the Federal High Court, setting aside the purported election into the Executive Committee of the NFF held on September 30, 2014.
Dalung said in the statement that the directive followed a written notification signed for the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice requesting the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports to ensure compliance.
The notification states thus;
‘I have been directed to notify you of the Orders dated June 5th 2018 made by Honorable Justice M. H. Kurya sitting at the Federal High Court Jos in respect of the above mentioned suit between Yahaya Adama Vs Alhaji Aminu Maigari which states that the election of the NFF held on August 26, 2014 under the leadership of Amb Chris Giwa be given recognition pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed in this case and that the purported ban of the Executive Committee elected on August 26, 2014 from football activities of the NFF is unconstitutional, null and void.
‘It is trite law that court orders are sacrosanct and any acts of disobedience to it constitutes threat to the rule of law. Consequent upon the above, you are hereby advised to comply with the orders of court made therein which for now, is the valid and binding order of court, in the absence of any other subsisting order or judgment to the contrary’.
Consequently, Dalung has directed the parties involved to comply with the court order.
“This is a court order and not from Dalung. I will not want to go to Kuje prison because of disobedience of court orders. Therefore, I hereby comply with the court orders of June 5th 2018, while Mr Amaju Pinnick and others are also directed to comply with same,” quoted the minister.
However, facts exclusively obtained by TheNewsGuru.com revealed that the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) was yet to make such pronouncement.
In response to a letter by the Principal Partner, Festus Keyamo Chambers, dated 13th June 2018 with the title: RE: FALSE REPORTS OF REMOVAL OF AMAJU PINNICK AS NFF PRESIDENT AND THE ATTEMPT BY ONE CHRIS GIWA TO FORCEFULLY TAKE OVER THE NFF SECRETARIAT, the minister noted that since the matter was still in court, it was inappropriate for anyone (including himself) to take formal decisions on it.
See letter below: