NFF to finalise Keshi’s contract

The board of the Nigeria Football Federation will convene an emergency meeting devoted to finalising contract deal with Stephen Keshi as Nigeria coach. The decision follows the meeting of the Federation’s Technical Committee members and later the board on Wednesday in Abuja.

A member of the committee, Mr. Paul Bassey, however told The PUNCH that nothing had been said on the pay for the coach as other issues had to be settled first.

He said, “It is not true that we have agreed to pay him N7m. That aspect has not been discussed.”

But following the report of the committee appointed to open channels of communication with Keshi on the probability of contract renewal for the Super Eagles job, the NFF Executive Committee then approved that the Acting President Chief Mike Umeh should convene a meeting of the NFF Emergency Committee to approve/finalise details on Keshi. This is a bid to fast track the negotiations/employment within the shortest possible time with the defence of the African Nations Cup title starting in September.

The emergency Congress earlier scheduled for Thursday (today) was cancelled. The statement released by the NFF on Wednesday read, “As a result of unforeseen circumstances, the emergency Congress of NFF earlier proposed for Thursday, 31st July, 2014 but not convoked, will now be convened at a later date.”

The PUNCH learnt that the realisation that their constitution specifies for 30 days’ notice before such meeting forced the Federation to postpone the meeting which had been fixed in Abuja to deliberate on Aminu Maigari’s impeachment.

Wednesday’s meeting also confirmed that the Elective Congress of the NFF will still hold on August 26 in Abuja, while the General Assembly will now hold on November 18 at a venue to be determined later. And for the elections, the NFF also decided to retain the Electoral Committee headed by Mr. Amoni Biambo with the exclusion of Dr. Akpo Mudiaga-Odje and Mr. Pascal Patrick, while the Electoral Appeals Committee is also retained with the exclusion of Eddy Ibrahim Mark, who is said to be a Chairman of one of NFF’s judicial bodies.

The NFF paper, signed by Emeka Inyama, stated that Shehu Adamu was approved as the Acting 1st Vice President of the NFF.

The Wednesday meeting also took a look at the contentious bans imposed on some members of the Nigeria football family. And at that a five-man committee to review the issue of bans on persons affected and report back to the NFF within three days. The Committee, which was immediately inaugurated by Umeh, is headed by Chief Effiong Johnson and has Shehu Adamu, Mr. Ayodeji Tinubu, Mrs Dilichukwu Onyedinma and Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande as members, while Dr. Christian Emeruwa will serve as Secretary.