Abuja – Sen. Obinna Ogba, the Senate Committee Chairman on Sports, said on Wednesday that the National Assembly would do everything within its powers to move the country’s football forward.
Ogba said this in Abuja at the extra-ordinary football congress organised by the Amaju Pinnick-led executive of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The congress was organised to discuss current developments in the country’s football, especially the Jos Federal High Court order.
The court had on Friday annulled the election of the Pinnick-led board in Warri, Delta, on Sept. 30, 2014.
Ogba said that in order to allow football in the country to develop, there was need to always create room for reconciliation.
“My presence here has written everything you want to hear; I want to put on record that since I became the Chairman Senate Committee on Sports, there is nothing Amaju (Pinnick) will say he asked from me that he did not get.
“What is important is to be focused and whether it is ordinary politics or football politics, you must leave one window open for reconciliation.
“I want to assure you (the congress) that in this football family I am a member and I will still remain a member.’’
Meanwhile, Victor Baribote, a board member of the Chris Giwa-led group has said that one of the reasons the group postponed its congress, earlier scheduled for Wednesday, to a later date, is to give it adequate time to serve the Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung, the court order.
Baribote further said that the group was waiting for the deployment of policemen to the NFF secretariat by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase following an official request.
He said the deployment of the policemen would also guarantee security at the secretariat before the board’s assumption of duty. (NAN)