Purported Amaju’s removal, most unfortunate –Etoroma News

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Purported Amaju’s removal, most unfortunate –Etoroma

By By AUGUSTINE KALU on July 7, 2018

Former member of Delta State Sports Commission, Hon. Ejiro Etoroma has condemned the purported removal of the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick from office by the Hon. Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Barrister Solomon Dalung on Monday.

Dalung had in a statement released on Monday directed the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to recognize Ambassador Chris Giwa as the President of the NFF even as he disclosed that his action was hinged on the letter written to him by the Hon. Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, asking him (Dalung) to comply with the Orders of the Supreme Court which recognized the NFF’s election of August 2014, which Ambassador Chris Giwa was alleged to have won pending the determination of substantive suit.

“My brother, I really do not know when we will learn? This action of the Hon. Sports and Youth Development Minister is unnecessary,” Hon. Etoroma began.

“I think the Hon. Sports Minister is wrong by asking Amaju to vacate office based on the Supreme Court Ruling of April, 2018.

“First and foremost, it is very clear that football matters in particular and sports in general are not decided in regular courts, rather they are determined and decided in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).

“This is the practice all over the globe and this matter had been decided at the Court of Arbitration for Sports before and we all know the position of CAS on this matter. So, for me; I do not understand what the Minister wants to achieve by what he has done.

“He only succeeded in stirring crisis in Nigeria Football. And I don’t think that we need this type of crisis now particularly as we have just returned from the World Cup where we did not meet our expectation.

“I believe that instead of this unnecessary crises that the Minister’s action has generated now, we ought to focus our attention on how to ensure we do well in the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers which the next thing that stirs us in the face,” Etoroma lamented.

Speaking further, Hon. Etoroma described the purported removal of Amaju from office as most unfortunate even as he wondered when Nigeria will be able to learn from her mistakes as this is not the first time that this type of thing will be happening in the country.

“The purported removal of Amaju from office is most unfortunate. I don’t know when we will be able to learn because this is not the first time this type of will be happening.

“If they insist on illegal removal of Amaju from office, then we should get prepared for the suspension of the country from football related activities by the world football governing body FIFA which is the normal practice. This is what happens to those countries that try to do what we are doing at the moment is no alternative to FIFA sanction if we insist on the illegal removal of Amaju from office,” Etoroma declared.

“However, I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung to allow sleeping dog lie.

“Dalung should exercise a little patient so that Amaju will finish his tenure. His tenure will come to a close very soon and if there is somebody they want to be the president of the NFF; they can then present the person to contest during the NFF’s Congress and if their candidates defeats Amaju, so be it. But to just wake up and said you want to executive a Supreme Court Orders of April does not make sense because the matter has since been resolved.

“And again, why is the Hon. Minister of Sports so interested in executing the Supreme Court Orders when he knows what obtains all over the world in this type of situation? They should allow Amaju finish his tenure in peace,” Hon. Etoroma appealed.

Source Daily Sports

Posted July 7, 2018