AMINU MAIGARI’S RESULTS YOU CAN’T TAKE AWAY FROM HIM: Why We Should Re-Instate Him as NFF President!

The 2 – 3 humiliation of the Super Eagles of Nigeria at home soil in Calabar, by an ordinary Congo national team, was a shock to many. But indeed, it could be a sign of the END, the end of Nigeria’s glorious run in recent months.

Olaleye Dada, a sports analyst said on LTV Sports Splash this Monday morning: “Stephen Keshi should have seen the sign and honorably resign his position as Nigeria national team Head Coach now that the ovation is still loud. If Nigeria loss to South Africa on Wednesday 10, 2014 at Cape Town, his patriotism as a freelance coach may count for nothing and then, he may have opened himself to public mouthing.”

“NFF may use the opportunity to rubbish his career and his current financial value may be priced down.” Dada explained.

# Are we going back to the drawing board?

It seem the Sports minister , Tamuno Danagogo and his cohorts may have decided to put the nation’s football on a reverse gear - Things has suddenly stopped moving forward and our football is fast sliding back into the ditch.

Tamuno Danagogo, Sports Minister

You can’t imagine how in just a month, between July 13 to September 6, 2014. Nigeria football has fallen into such a deep crisis. A crisis I think is brewed by personal vendetta, put above national interest.

The story is familiar to most football followers in Nigeria. How one Baribote’s wife started a court case against NFF; how the court sat and suspended the leadership of NFF; how the minister obeyed court order and appointed an acting secretary general; and the resultant reaction by FIFA , to suspend Nigeria from participating in any organize football in world.

We all know it was a well rehearsed script that was acted out like a typical Nigeria Nollywood’s home video – to remove Aminu Maigari from office, as NFF President.

FIFA Officials have insisted the NFF Extraordinary Congress that unanimously endorsed the dissolution of the Aminu Maigari led NFF Executive Committee, did not act in line with FIFA rules and regulations. For one, football matters are not litigated in regular courts, there’s the FIFA Court of Arbitrations. Two, FIFA is strongly against government interference in such matters and has threatened to ban Nigeria right away.

The Sports ministry in trying to manipulate the situation to beat FIFA threat, decided to start Part2 of the drama.

By the sport minister’s instructions, Baribote’s wife decided to drop the case in the interest of the country, as she stated. Baribote himself came out to say: “I pleaded with my wife to vacate the court case against NFF… Despite the victimization I suffered at the hands of NFF, the interest of Nigeria should come first.”

As wonderful as that statement sound, it was still part of the plot in part2 of this terrible drama. It heralds the blackmail, as an official at the sport ministry said: “The national sports commission (NSC) deemed the action necessary as the Federal government want to avoid accusations of any interference in the administration of football. NFF should raise its own N239 million Naira to fund the participation of Super Falconets at the U-20 Women’s World cup in Canada.”

Chis Giwa, New Acclaimed NFF President

Well, different scene played out, but at the end, a kangaroo election was conducted and Chris Giwa emerged as the new NFF President. Yet, FIFA didn’t recognize the election and asked that Giwa vacate office before September 8, 2014; that Aminu Maigari should be re-instated immediately as NFF President.

Looking at Maigari’s score card, FIFA seem to be speaking the mind of most football fans in Nigeria. Maigari is perhaps the most successful NFF President ever in the history of Nigerian football. We could see our national teams doing well and our football moving forward. Take the recent records from 2013 till date:

Nigeria Super Eagles won the Africa’s Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa 2013

Nigeria Eaglets won FIFA U-17 World Cup in UAE 2013

Nigeria Home based Eagles was placed 3^rd in Championship of African Nations (CHAN) 2013

Nigeria Super Eagles finished in the second round of FIFA World Cup in Brazil 2014

Nigeria Super Falconets won Silver trophy (Finalist) in FIFA U-20 Women’s World cup in Canada 2014

The good part is Maigari used Nigeria indigenous coaches to achieve all these. So why does someone want to remove such a successful president? His results speak for him and we must be quick to restate him, so he may continue his good works!