by Olorunwa Lawal

Amidst the pending crisis in the Glass House of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Sports Ministers, Tammy Danagogo, has asked Aminu Maigari to stay away from the federation’s office.

It was learnt that on Tuesday, Danagogo told Maigari to leave the NFF office premises as he had not been told to resume just yet.

According to the Sports Minister, all parties involved in the NFF crises were asked to stay clear of NFF’s secretariat in the interest of peace and for amicable resolution of the crisis.

“We asked all the parties, Maigari, Giwa and everybody involved in this crisis to stay clear of that place (Glass House) so that we can amicably resolve this issue.

“Up till [Tuesday] morning, the report I got from Musa Amadu was that they were out of that place. I don’t want them to go there to fight and it will be in the best interest of everybody involved to maintain the peace we have achieved up till this moment,” he said.

However, Maigari, the FIFA chosen one, insisted on staying stating that his return was on interim basis and not for full time.

“He (minister) did not tell me anything. But I just received a call now telling me to leave the office, which I have to comply and honour. I am not here to resume fully but for interim measure and even without anybody’s intervention I did not come here to stay. I know I must leave here,” he said.

“Fifa is the owner of this game that we are passionate about. We have to as quickly as possible comply with their directive as an affiliate member and as a country. Fifa has to direct us appropriately and that is what they are doing.

“Personally, I feel sad about the crisis because we are supposed to be one united family. But in a situation like this you can’t do away with crisis. For a way out, we must do what is right. We have statutes and must respect it as a federation. Fifa has the overall and superior statutes and in as much as we subscribed to them, we must respect their statutes and guiding principles,” he added.

Maigairi stated that his tenure was coming to an end and an executive committee was to sit down and decide a date for the election.

“We are in the process of completing our tenure and a new board will be in place very soon to takeover the running of the federation.

“I want to believe that we will do this thing within a shortest time possible,” he concluded.

Emmanuel Chidiogo