NFF And Supreme Court: Tenebe Praises Giwa's Maturity

NFF and Supreme Court: Tenebe praises Giwa’s maturity *FG must implement that judgment or face anarchy Coup against Galadima was foundation for our troubles By Oluwole Francis Jarett Tenebe, one of the nation’s football agitators, has called on the Amaju Pinnick-led Board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) sacked by the Supreme Court not to be “blindfolded from realities which has made the Warri election that brought them into office on the 30th September 2014 illegal, null and void.” Tenebe who spoke with a team of reporters in Abuja said, “Ambassador Chris Giwa earned my respect for allowing the nation concentrate on the World Cup. He would have insisted that the Orders of the Supreme Court be respected and that would have distracted the national team but instead he allowed national interest to prevail.” He congratulated them for taking the “very slow and tedious legal journey through to the Supreme Court which restored them into office pending the determination of the matter in the Federal High Court in Jos.” Tenebe who led a faction of the NFF at a time added, “ironically, there were several versions of the interpretation of the Supreme Court judgement but I had to apply for the enrolled order which is very clear to a 100 level law student. The Nigerian government can not pretend like they are not aware of the processes leading to this recent judgement as it will set a very bad precedent for our nascent democracy. Citing the judgement, Tenebe said, “on page 25 paragraph 2, read by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) the judgement said: "I have to point out that by restoring the suit to the cause list, it means a restoration of all the orders in the proceedings in the suit (at the Federal High Court Jos) irrespective of the fact that the matter may be heard denovo before another court" Tenebe submitted, “simply explained, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, has directed that, the order declaring Warri election as of no value, the contempt of court order and the other orders has effectively the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF executive committee does not exist in the eye of the law. Justice and Nigerian Football Federation: See, the day that that Kano coup d’etat was conducted against Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima in 2006 was the day our football had started suffering from injustice. Where there is no justice, don’t look for peace. From Lulu to Maigari and Pinnick. Check the quality of injustice and cabal like folks who had been administering the sport. How many of them have clubs? None of them. The people who fund the clubs are now strangers in their own home? Two, for a body in Nigeria to refuse to obey court orders is an invitation to anarchy. For disobeying the Order of the Jos Court made on 19th September 2014, enjoining and restraining the NFF jointly and severally from convening or holding a general assembly or extraordinary general assembly is first condemnable. They should have been charged with contempt of court. Thirdly, how can a body corporate go ahead to hold an election into the board of the NFF pending the hearing and determination of the suit. Some people will come and argue that football matters don’t go to court. Did Amaju Pinnick and his ilks not joined the matter and took the Appeal to higher courts? Asked about the electoral processes in place. Tenebe said, “our prison doors are still open for those who want to go for courses there. Which election are you talking about? The same Supreme Court ruling has also barred the present executive committee of the NFF from conducting any election into the executive committee of the NFF pending the determination of a fresh suit before a federal high court. In the first place, Pinnick’s board is not even know to law. Everything they have done is not known to law including the setting up of the electoral committee. Giwa’s board is for now, until the Federal High Court says otherwise, are the authentic board. Asked if FIFA won’t sanction Nigeria. The light complexioned football aficionado said, “the era of those forged FIFA letters are gone. Two, will FIFA ask Nigeria not to obey the orders of our Supreme Court? Why do they obey Swiss laws? He has an advise for Amaju Pinnick and his cohorts, “they should count their luck to have attended the 2018 World Cup. Even if they win the World Cup, they should just head out from there. The time to drop the gauntlet and leave Nigeria football alone is now. If after the World Cup the Federal Government does not implement that Supreme Court judgment, there will be anarchy in the land.” My advise for Giwa is to start work immediately. The nation needs to know what are the paths to a new intensive and expansive developmental plans for our football. Having managed a football club, he understands so many things. He must also set up independent funding programme. He cannot rely on government subvention. As a businessman, he understand what I am saying. Time to rejig our sport is here.