NFF Slams 5-year ban on Chris Giwa, 4 Others

NFF Slams 5-year ban on Chris Giwa, 4 Others

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has moved to bring an end to the lingering leadership tussle by slamming a 5-year ban on factional leader Chris Giwa and four of his principal officers.

The decision comes after a meeting of the Disciplinary Committee of the Amaju Pinnick-led board Thursday, where Giwa and his associates, Muazu Suleyman, Yahaya Adama, Sani Fema and Johnson Effiong were found guilty of all the six charges brought against them.

In its ruling, the Disciplinary Committee said that Giwa and his coterie of executives “are found guilty of Illegally representing the NFF in breach of Art. 40 of the NFF Statutes, when they without due authorization and mandate purported to contract a Law Firm, Messrs Leslie Cohen & Associates of Illovo Law Chambers, 4 Fricker Road, Ground Floor, South Africa in the name of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and refused to pay for services whereby the said Messrs Leslie Cohen & Associates commenced proceedings against the NFF for the sum of $100000 being legal fees for professional services rendered in the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Local Division, Johannesburg.”

The committee also found the Giwa faction “in breach of fiduciary and loyalty as contained in Art. 15 of FIFA Code of Ethics 2012 by carrying out various deliberate acts and conducts capable of attracting a ban from FIFA on the NFF capable of putting the administration and development of football in Nigeria into jeopardy.”

Hence, they are not to partake in any football-related activity for the stipulated period of the ban (5 years).