subject: FIFA has described President Goodluck Jonathan as a true leader [print this page] FIFA has described President Goodluck Jonathan as a true leader
FOOTBALL world's governing body, Federation of International Football Association (FIFA), has said that the two-year pullout from international football earlier contemplated by Nigeria would have created a vacuum in the sport.
And for acceding to the request of football-loving Nigerians to review his stance on the matter, FIFA has described President Goodluck Jonathan as a true leader of men with the love of his people at heart.
This is coming as the new leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has denied bribing state FA chairmen to the tune of N5 million to ensure that they returned the erstwhile leadership of the board to office.
FIFA President, Mr. Sepp Blatter, who spoke yesterday, commended the move by President Jonathan to rescind the two-year self-imposed ban, stressing that only true leaders yield such grounds.
Speaking with the new leadership of the NFF at a morning meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, Blatter noted that as one of the key football nations, Nigeria's absence from the international scene would have been greatly felt.
His words: "Nigeria is one of the key components of the football world, and a two-year abstinence from the game from this beautiful game by the country would have left a vacuum. Please extend my warmest sporting regards to President Goodluck Jonathan".
Blatter pledged that FIFA will co-operate fully with the new leadership of the FA as endorsed at Friday's Extra-Ordinary General Assembly in Abuja while urging the new helmsmen to always operate with the Statutes of the NFF. He added that FIFA would continue to monitor the situation in Nigeria football.
At a separate meeting with the NFF leadership also in Johannesburg, CAF President, Issa Hayatou, also lauded President Jonathan's magnanimity over the impasse with FIFA, even as he also pledged that CAF would co-operate with the new leadership in Nigeria football.
Meanwhile, the Extra-ordinary General Assembly of the NFF held over the weekend to discuss issues of utmost importance to the survival of football in Nigeria, noted with satisfaction the submission of the NFF Executive Committee that "there is no iota of truth in the allegation that state FAs were each bribed with the sum of N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira)."
A 12-point communiqu released at the end of the Assembly registered its commitment to working harmoniously with the Federal Government and all agencies that have direct relevance to the management and promotion of football in Nigeria.
The Congress, which was attended by 84 out of the 88 delegates comprising chairmen and secretaries of the 36 state football associations and other stakeholders, placed on record its gratitude to President Jonathan for the strong leadership qualities exhibited in the amicable resolution of the recent crisis that threatened to engulf football in Nigeria.
It reiterated its commitment to the principles of transparency, honesty and due process, and also reaffirmed the earlier date of August 21, 2010 as the date for elections into the new Executive Committee of the NFF.
However, an extension of two weeks was approved for the collection and return of completed election forms in order to give all interested stakeholders the opportunity to participate in the polls.
