Emmanuel Ukudolo
Abuja, May 13, 2016 – The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has banned Christopher Giwa, Muazu Suleyman, Yahaya Adama, Sani Fema and Johnson Effiong from participating in football related activities for a period of five years.
The decision to ban five of them was taken by the NFF disciplinary committee after a meeting attended by Prof. Olufemi Adegbesan (Vice-Chairman), Adamu Sani Osmond, Esq. Kelvin Omuojine, Esq. and Christian Emeruwa, Ph.D.
“Christopher Giwa, Muazu Suleyman, Yahaya Adama, Sani Fema and Johnson Effiong are hereby banned from taking part in any football related activity for a period of Five (5) years each”, the committee said.
The committee found Christopher Giwa, Muazu Suleyman, Yahaya Adama, Sani Fema and Johnson Effiong guilty of Illegally representing the NFF in breach of Art. 40 of the NFF Statutes, when they without due authorization and mandate purported to contract a Law Firm, Messrs Leslie Cohen & Associates of Illovo Law Chambers, 4 Fricker Road, Ground Floor, South Africa in the name of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and refused to pay for services whereby the said Messrs Leslie Cohen & Associates commenced proceedings against the NFF for the sum of $100000 being legal fees for professional services rendered in the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Local Division, Johannesburg.
The committee also found them guilty of breaching Art. 69(1) of the NFF Statutes by taking football matters to the ordinary court and failing to submit to the jurisdiction of FIFA and the NFF.
It found Christopher Giwa guilty of breach of the general rules of conduct as contained in Art. 13 of the FIFA Code of Ethics when he invaded the premises of the Nigeria Football Federation and falsely presented himself as President of the NFF on 6th May, 2016.
It also found the five of them guilty of failing to comply fully with the Statutes, regulations, directives and decisions of FIFA and NFF in contravention of Art. 13 1(a) of NFF Statutes 2010 in relation to the NFF Election held in Warri Delta State on 30th September, 2014.
It noted that the five acted in breach of fiduciary and loyalty as contained in Art. 15 of FIFA Code of Ethics 2012 by carrying out various deliberate acts and conducts capable of attracting a ban from FIFA on the NFF capable of putting the administration and development of football in Nigeria into jeopardy.
