Keshi’s sack plan divides NFF

In from Nifemi Daniel…

The plan to sack embattled Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, has put members of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) against each other, after the Disciplinary Committee, allegedly met in Abuja on Thursday and recommended termination of the coach’s contract.

As exclusively reported by Ripples on Monday June 29, 2015, the NFF hastily approved the contract signing and resumption of a Technical Director in Amodu Saibu who is being placed on standby to replace Keshi.

Keshi, two week ago, appeared before the NFF’s Disciplinary Committee over allegations that he had applied for the job to coach Ivory Coast.

The former handler of the Mali and Togo national teams has been having running battles with the NFF having been accused of applying for the vacant job of the reigning African champions, but the ex-Super Eagles’ skipper denied sending his CV to the Ivoirian Football Federation.

Thursday’s meeting which had mostly the trusted allies of those against Keshi in attendance was aimed at demanding the Executive Committee headed by Amaju Pinnick to sack the Super Eagles coach.

A source close to the gathering revealed that there was actually nothing serious they discussed as all of those invited knew the agenda was to get Keshi out at all cost.

“In fact he was hurriedly paid his outstanding two months’ salary so that when we take this decision nobody will say we are owing him,” the source revealed.
Read Also: Exclusive… NFF may replace Keshi with Amodu

However, a counter source of the same committee who did not attend the meeting because he was not invited based on his views on the ‘unnecessary’ controversy says the NFF was just being trite with the vendetta against Keshi allegedly because of his sins after the 2013 Nations Cup win.

“We are watching them because they refused to invite some of us because of fear and the Chairman’s talk that meetings on an issue as important as recommending the sack of a coach are done by members turn by turn and it was not the turn of some of us.

“The sum of N140, 000 which they pay as allowance will not allow me to sell my conscience,” the enraged member declared.

The aggrieved official also noted that the NFF Executive Committee has no right to sack Keshi until the matter is brought before the Appeals Committee of the NFF.

It is from there the NFF can now summon an Emergency Congress from where important decisions like sacking a national team’s Manager can be taken.

He stressed: “This play has the tendency of consuming many, just watch out as the drama plays out.”

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