Sports Minister Solomon Dalung has assured Nigerians that he will put a check to the crisis rocking the leadership of football in the country. Dalung had a four-hour long reconciliation meeting between the sitting NFF president Amaju Pinnick and factional leader Chris Giwa in Abuja.
The sports minister insists both parties deserved to have their voices heard, stressing that such was the best means to have the matter resolved. While allaying fears for Fifa sanctions, he assured the government would engage the world governing body in a discussion and explained that his efforts were to separate football from secular politics.
"You know sometimes the issues could be contentions but to God be the glory we were able to appreciate the issues and identify them," Dalung told media.
"We have not tidy all the issues but we have adjourned till the next meeting. By the time we tidy up the issues, I believe it's going to be in the interest of Nigerian football.
"I have not only the will power, but political will power to resolve this issue. In conflict resolution, you must listen to parties and must give the opportunity to ventilate grievances. And until they do that you can impose anything because we are in democracy.
"In democracy, your give room for expression of opinion and listen. i have listen to them and narrow the issues and at the next meeting we will resolve the issues and it will be over.
"Fifa is an umbrella body for football and i don't its is a monster. It is suppose to play a fatherly role of trying to ensure federations operate within the rules and global best practice.
"When you fear with Fifa that means you have some to hide. So Fifa is a father, big brother and we will relate with Fifa when the need come.
"The bottom-line of the whole thing is that football politics should be isolated from secular politics. Secular politics once mobilized into football or unionism could lead to some crisis. The next meeting will coming up on Wednesday next week," he said.
In his reaction, factional leader Giwa, applauded the efforts of the minister in resolving the matter and declined further comment until the peace talks is concluded.
"The minister has done well. What he needs to do is what he has done. Everything is moving on fine and we are waiting," Giwa told media.
"As a law abiding individual and God fearing person, it is very wrong for me to say something on a matter that is before the minister," he told media.
Pinnick also lauded the minister's intervention and stressed that there was nothing to worry about and acknowledged the role of rival leader, Giwa in the development of football.
"We are all animals. And at times we could activate our animistic tendency as a reaction which happens everywhere even in the legislature
"Football is the winner at the end of the day there is no winner or vanquish because the statuesque remain."
"I'm the president of the NFF. And I’m happy because I and with Chris Giwa spoke, though we had heated arguments but we must acknowledge he has been very supportive to football.
"He is a major contributor to football. He is one of the few Nigerian that have contributed immensely to the game. So we must always give him that respect.
"I don't think there is anything serious because the minister has showed a lot of professionally, maturely and dexterity. No matter what, there are rooms for distraction which one must always learn from.
"I'm not going to let him tell me he will step down, but i feel we can work together for the betterment of Nigerian football," he concluded.
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