[ 2014-10-06 ]

Nigerian football administrators face prospect of mass imprisonment
Hearings on Wednesday in Jos will determine the
future of many of Nigeria's football
administrators, ironically just at the point when
it looks like the Nigerian Football Federation
(NFF) is finally putting its house in order, with
some help from FIFA.

Following last week's NFF election which saw Amaju
Pinnick win a vote for the NFF Presidency, the
inaugural meeting of the newly elected board was
set to meet in Abuja this coming Wednesday. Among
the items on the agenda is the future of Stephen
Keshi, the national team coach, as well as the
setting up of various working committees.

Unfortunately for those planning to attend this
meeting, a Federal High Court in Jos on Friday
issued a new injunction demanding that Sports
Minister Tammy Danagogo, the previous President of
the NFF Aminu Maigari, the NFF General Secretary
Musa Amadu and all 36 states FA chairmen appear
before the court to explain why they should not be
committed to prison for failing to comply with the
court's earlier injunctions aimed at halting the
electoral process they participated in.

The injunctions had been issued after Yahaya Adama
and Obinna Ogba, members of Chris Giwa's board,
argued his election as NFF President on the August
26 was legitimate and the matter should be
considered by the courts.

The court's original injunctions were ignored by
those involved in the new elections, who variously
argued they had not seen them or had not been
served with them.

In Nigeria, as in many jurisdictions, the failure
to comply with a properly served injunction is a
criminal offence, whether or not the injunction is
finally shown to have been issued on merit. The
court has the power to commit those failing to
comply with its orders to prison, until such time
as they obey the orders of the court.

On Wednesday the Court will be considering if the
football administrators were genuinely unaware of
the proceedings or if they intended to
deliberately flout the Court's orders. As the
sanctions are penal the standard of proof required
is beyond reasonable doubt. The Court has wide
discretion in these circumstances and may suspend
an order of committal on terms and conditions
which it may specify.

So Wednesday promises to be another interesting
day for those following the NFF saga and without
doubt the spotlight will be on Nigerian justice,
the behaviour of the Nigerian administrators and
the encouragment of FIFA in strongly supporting
Aminu Maigari, Musa Amadu and the election of
Amaju Pinnick.

Source - Inside Football

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