Sports
NFF Election: Odegbami, Others Disqualified
The electoral committee of
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Wednesday disqualified the acting President of the NFF, Mike Umeh and the former Chairman of the technical committee of the Federation, Taiwo Ogunjobi from the August 26 election.
Also disqualified was former Captain of Green Eagles, Segun Odegbami, leaving the President of Giwa FC of Jos.
Chris Giwa as the sole presidential candidate for the elections.
Addressing the media on Wednesday in Abuja, Chairman of the electoral committee, Amoni Biambo said the case of Umeh was complicated. He disclosed that apart from the fact that there was no receipt attached to his form for a Vice-President position, Umeh also submitted the same form in which he declared his intention to contest for the post of President.
“Let me explain that we are here to do a job and not here to favour any candidate. In the case of Umeh, no receipt of the purchase was attached to the form.
He purchased the nomination form for the post of first Vice-President, but later submitted same for the post of President and the nomination form was submitted on August 11, 2014, after the closing date of August 4. On the nomination form submitted, the date on affidavit was 8 August, 2014 which collaborates the late submission of the form the candidate.
On Ogunjobi’s disqualification Biambo argued that since he was still serving the lengthy ban slammed on him by NFF by the time of the screening exercise was going on, he remains not cleared for election.
He also said that Odegbami, was disqualified on the grounds that the Chairman of his state FA and two from any other zone did not endorse his form.
The Committee however cleared the suspended member o the board, Ahmed Yusuf (Fresh) to contest, claiming that the Committee was not informed of his suspension by the NFF.
He disclosed that 25 forms were purchased from the 60 printed while 24 returned their forms for screening.
He added that former NFF President, Aminu Miagari who purchased a form failed to submit it.
The committee said any appeal or protest letter should be channeled to the electoral appeal committee before today.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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