The World football governing body, FIFA, on Friday lifted the suspension clamped on Nigeria on July 9 as a result of a court order barring the Aminu Maigari-led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Executive Committee and the (NFF) Congress from controlling and managing the affairs of Nigeria football.
In a letter signed by FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, and addressed to the NFF President, Mr Aminu Maigari, the world body, in the letter captioned ‘Lifting of the suspension of the Nigeria Football Federation,’ stated clearly that they received the correspondence of Thursday, July 17 from the NFF and were satisfied that Nigeria had complied with their demands for reinstatement into international football.
“Since the conditions set by the FIFA Emergency Committee on 9 July have been met, the suspension of the Nigeria Football Federation is lifted with immediate effect. The lifting of the suspension means that all of NFF’s membership rights have been reinstated, as defined in art. 12 of FIFA Statutes.
“The NFF is therefore entitled to take part again in international competitions and to benefit from all programs which were suspended,” the statement read.
With this decision, the NFF has stepped up arrangements to ensure that the U-20 Women National Team, Falconets, travel to Moncton, Canada next week for a final training camp ahead of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup taking place in the same country, and for the U-17 boys to fly to Democratic Republic of Congo for a 2015 African U-17 Championship qualifier on Sunday, July 27.
The NFF Executive Committee was barred when a Plateau High Court, sitting in Jos, on Wednesday July 2, granted an order restraining the Executive Committee and the NFF Congress from running the affairs of Nigerian football forthwith pending the determination of the “Motion on Notice” before the court.
The court order was however reversed on Thursday with the committee reinstated.
Meanwhile, the Publicity Chairman of the Nigerian Football Federation, Mr Emeka Inyama has assured Nigerians that there is no crack within the federation.
Addressing reporters at the headquarters of the federation after a marathon meeting of board members, Mr Inyama disclosed that the federation would hold another meeting on the 24 July to resolve grey areas.
However, the General Secretary of the Federation was absent from the meeting which was held behind closed doors.