By Victor Okoye
Abuja, Jan. 9, 2023 (NAN) Harrison Jalla, the Chairman, Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN) task force, says there has been no progress on the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) between the body and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the players union are advocating equal representation for all the five statutory bodies that make up the NFF as it relates to voting rights and representation on the NFF board.
PFAN had gone to court to ask for an amendment of the 2010 NFF Statutes, which led to Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Sept.15 stopping the NFF elections slated for Benin.
Meanwhile, dissatisfied with the order, the NFF approached the Appellate Court with an application to set the order aside.
While granting NFF’s application on Sept. 29, the Court held that the lower court erred in law which occasioned a miscarriage of justice when his Lordship held parties were hereby ordered to maintain status quo pending the final order of the court.
The NFF would later go ahead to hold its elective congress on Sept. 30 in Benin, which produced Ibrahim Gusau as the new president of the federation.
NAN also reports that an ADR process was later initiated by the Appellants which first sitting took place on Oct. 5 at Reno Hotels Abuja.
Jalla however told the NAN on Monday in Abuja that on the issue of the ADR, no progress had been made so far.
“As at today, the PFAN task force can report that no progress has been made on the ADR.
“After the Dec. 6, 2022 meeting between the NFF and the PFAN task force, there have been no meeting so far to deliberate on issues before the Appeal Court, Abuja division,” he said.
He however assured that all Nigeria Footballers current and retired world wide were able, willing and ready to cooperate with Gusau to reposition Nigeria Football.
“We are willing and ready to work with Gusau, having seen the dynamism he has exhibited in his short spell in office which is a complete departure from the terrible state of Nigeria Football in the last eight years.
“But this position cannot be at the expense of the exclusion of the Footballers Block and other critical stakeholders from Football Administration in Nigeria,” he said.
He added that the President of PFAN comrade Tijani Babangida (MON) had set up a peace committee under the leadership of PFAN’s 1st Vice President, Ex-International Clement Temile with a mandate to recall agrieved members and unify the PFAN family.
“It is therefore imperative for the ADR to urgently meet to resolve outstanding issues in court.
“These are particularly the issues that bother on fair and equal representation on the NFF Board, Congress and sub committees ahead of Jan. 25 which is the next hearing date in court.
“As the popular saying goes, ‘a stich in time saves nine.
“The PFAN task force continues to assure all Nigeria’s current and retired Footballers World wide that there is no alternative to reforms in Nigeria Football.
“That the monopoly of the States Football Association Chairmen that has grossly retarded the growth of Nigeria Football is being confronted frontally by the PFAN task force and must be broken,” he said.
(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
