In a bid to restore peace to Nigerian football, the Senate has passed into law a bill recognising the Nigeria Football Federation, while withdrawing the Nigeria Football Association Act of 2004.
The passage took place on Thursday, after deliberations from the lawmakers. Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, stated that the bill makes NFF legal and limits government interference.
“I do believe that this (bill) helps the development of our football and the entire crisis we’ve had in the past. I believe that this bill will bring it to an end,” Ekweremadu told reporters.
“The entire crisis we’ve had in the past (in the governance of Nigerian football).”
Adamu Gumba, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, explained that that the new bill is an upgrade of the former one and is in line with FIFA’s statutes.
“This bill makes sure that most of the provisions of the law comply with Fifa regulations because each time we hear Fifa intervening in Nigeria’s football administration saying it is going to sanction the national federation for disobeying this statute or that regulations,” Gumba said.
“So this bill is meant to remove those areas (of friction between the NFF and Fifa) to make sure our football administrators work in accordance with the governing regulations of Fifa.”
President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to sign it into law, thereby making the bill autonomous.
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