Solomon Dalung, minister of youths and sports, says the there is no court injunction installing Chris Giwa as the NFF President.
Speaking on Wednesday at the 2016 extra-ordinary congress of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dalung described the supposed court injunction as outdated.
“The court order that was served on me was dated 2014. I have not seen any court order dated 2015. As a lawyer and as the minister of sports, till today I have not received any court order,” he said.
“Sadly, most people involved are rumour mongers, mischief makers, enemies of progress of Nigeria, and they decided to embark on speculations to destroy the relationship built and maintained over years in the football family.
“We are government and government deals with established institutions. When we came into office, we inherited the office in the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF)
“If a government is replaced, we will also be informed as how it has been replaced and why. So, as a government we will change our position. The football family must go back and put itself in order. It is not for me. I don’t elect presidents, I don’t vote presidents.
“Let me categorically state here, if football laws say don’t go to court and if someone has decided under section 41 of the Nigeria constitution to go to court, he has opened up a floodgate for an endless litigation, because the process will have to come from a court.
“And I think those that drafted the FIFA constitution wanted to abort this long process. But if the man has said he is going to a conventional court, fine. And I have gotten a judgement. The same judgement gives the man you took to court for power to appeal. He has 30 days to do that.
“So, for me I will wait. If after 30 days, the man did not appeal, he has accepted the verdict of the court. And then we enforce the law. But you cannot go to court, get a judgement and upon the threshold of that judgement, you want to deny the other party the right of appeal.
“The same court that gave you right, gave the other party the same right. So, you will have to allow him to exercise his rights too. Nigerians are interested in football, Nigerians are worried, like the president said, ‘you must remain focused’.
“Mr. President, I will like to appeal to you to help appeal to those who have decided to use the press negatively to generate negative publicity for Nigeria. We cannot destroy our football with stories that do not exist. We go about as if Nigeria football is at war.
“I am even worried with this news of Jos court order. Where is it from? I have not seen any court order. I am not saying there is none. If there is a court order, I am the minister, bring it to me.
“I have not seen it. Please those of you with the Jos court order, bring a copy for me to see. We are interested in your unity. All those even fighting are all members of this same family.
“Those who are mature, experienced and have persuasive abilities should try and talk to the people involved to narrow the gap of this conflict.”
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