ABUJA – Chris Giwa, the Board Chairman elected by a faction of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Congress, says he is optimistic the National Sports Commission (NSC) will support the new board.
Giwa expressed the optimism on Thursday in Abuja while speaking with newsmen, shortly after he paid a courtesy call on the NSC Chairman, Tammy Danagogo.
Giwa, who was accompanied by five members of the new board, expressed the hope the commission would be ready to work with whoever was working for Nigerian football’s development.
Giwa was elected on Tuesday as the board chairman, alongside 11 other members, by a faction of the NFF Congress.
“We are here as a new board to introduce ourselves to the minister, because as a major stakeholder and the leader in Nigerian sports, we cannot just start doing anything without coming to see him.
“And I am sure that the NSC will do everything possible to make sure football grows in this country, and that the NSC will support whoever will work for the development of football in this country.
“I don’t need a prophet to tell me that I have NSC’s assurance of support,’’ Giwa, who is also the proprietor of Giwa Football Club of Jos, a Premier League clubside, said. [eap_ad_1] He, however, noted that it did not matter if the board had been endorsed or not by the NSC Chairman, saying what mattered was that the board was elected by a congress.
“Since we have been elected by the congress, it is not an issue if we have been endorsed by the NSC Chairman or not,’’ Giwa said.
He disclosed that the board’s first meeting would hold either on Friday or Monday, as most members do not reside in Abuja.
“Most of the board members do not stay in Abuja. But, either tomorrow (Friday) or Monday, we will have the first board meeting where all the members will be present,’’ Giwa said.
Meanwhile, Danagogo, who is also the Minister of Sports, later told newsmen that there was nothing wrong in stakeholders visiting the NSC.
“There is nothing wrong if stakeholders visit the NSC, and what they came for was to brief me on the situation at hand.
“They said after I declared the congress open on Tuesday and left, they held an election which brought them on board. And I did nothing than to talk to them and advise them,’’ Danagogo said.
He, however, said he was willing to listen to the other faction, if its members visited the Commission too.
“I am willing to listen to the other group too, if they come, because they already called me that they will be coming by next week.
“So, when they come, and I have listened to them, we will try and restore peace between both parties.
“But, for now, I cannot comment on the situation at hand because I have to get all the facts, so as not to make hasty statements or decisions,’’ Danagogo said.
The board members who were with Giwa during the courtesy call included the First Vice-Chairman, Obinna Ogba, and the board’s Chairman of State FA Chairmen, Effiong Johnson.
The other board members were Sani Fema, Felix Obuah and Adams Yahaya.(NAN)
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