Sports

NFF crisis: Dalung disrupts Congress, assaults journalist

Published

8 years ago

April 13, 2016

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The Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung yesterday threw caution into the winds at the Extra Ordinary Session of the Nigeria

Football Federation, NFF, when he assaulted a sports writer, Andrew Abah, at the venue of the meeting in Chida Hotel.

Abah had accosted the Minister and demanded to know why he

was using derogatory statements against the pressmen in the coverage of

the leadership tussle between the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF and the

Giwa-led faction.

But an angry Dalung, who could not contain his anger after

listening for some time, pushed him away. It took the timely intervention of the NFF boss, Pinnick, to save the situation which could have developed into a free for all.

Dalung had during the session heaped blames on both factions for giving

money to journalists to further fuel the crisis, but Abah said he was not

only taking him on for the statement but for his previous negative

comments on sports writers.

He tongue lashed some members of the Congress for being mischievous and only after their selfish interest.

The Minister said he had not been served any court judgement from the Federal High Court in Jos that asked Pinnick-led

board to leave office.

“Instead what I saw is the judgement of 2014 which said that no

election held in Warri, so where the Jos April 9th ruling emanated from I

don’t know,” he explained.

“Giwa has not been coming to me because of this and I am very

careful because people may say I am supporting him because where from

the same Jos,” he added.

He further said efforts by him to reconcile both parties last month ended

in fiasco.

Dalung later on told Pinnick to narrow the gap with faction leader

in the interest of peace and for the game to move forward.

He pointed out that the sport was losing many international companies and

sponsors willing to identify with the Super Eagles because of the in-fighting amongst the members.

Dalung disclosed that he specifically ordered the police to beef up

security at the Glass House in order to avoid any violence.

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