ABUJA – Stakeholders in football have been urged to find lasting solution to the crisis rocking the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Emmanuel Babayaro, the founder of Friends of Football Foundation, a NGO, made the call on Monday in Abuja while addressing a news conference.
“Without pointing accusing fingers at any group or persons, let us for once put the country first and make that sacrifice for the greater good of the entire nation.
“Posterity judges our every action and therefore our steps must be guided by principles of fair play and equity.
“Football is even more vulnerable as the actions of a few can directly affect the entire nation, thus the need for all involved to imbibe the spirit of patriotism, discipline and self-sacrifice,’’ Babayaro said.
He appealed to the judiciary and security agencies to unite in the bid to find lasting to the problems bedevilling the sector.
“The judiciary, they say, is the last hope of the common man, while football is the livelihood of the common man. [eap_ad_1] He reiterated the call for the establishment of a Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Nigeria.
“When Nigeria joined FIFA, it accepted its statuses and was bonded by it; part of its status clearly states that all football matters should be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) only.
“One would naturally expect that our learned ones should help us uphold this law…’’
“We are therefore using this medium to appeal to the Attorney General, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Sports as well as the Chief Justice of the Federation to take the necessary action.
“They must as a matter of urgency constitute a committee to facilitate the establishment of CAS in Nigeria,’’ he said.
Babayaro said his foundation would go on a nationwide tour for data collation and consultations with stakeholders to aid the growth and development of football in the country.
“We will be very active from the grass-roots level to the top, covering every nook and cranny of our great country through elaborate network of partnerships and programmes,’’ he said. (NAN)
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