A new crisis in Nigeria football may be brewing following the lawsuit instituted by Legal Advocacy for the Advancement of Football in Nigeria against the Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare and the Nigeria Football Federation for failure to constitute the Players’ Status Committee and Arbitration Tribunal.
The legal advocacy group filed a suit at the Federal High Court on Tuesday against the NFF and Sports Minister in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1303/2020 seeking an order of mandamus under Order 34 Rules 1 & 3 of the FHC Civil Procedure Rules 2019.
The order being sought is one to compel the Minister and NFF to comply with Articles 53 and 68-69 of the NFF Statutes as well as Sec 19(1)-(2) of the NFA Act LFN 2004 for the constitution of the Players’ Status Committee and Arbitration Tribunal.
The process filed by Barristers Abdulhaleem Amin and Timbee Kenneth, Heads of Litigation and Mediation & Arbitration respectively is meant to call both the Minister and NFF to order.
It would be noted that the group had asked the NFF to constitute the Players’ Status Committee and Arbitration Tribunal as required by Articles 53 and 68-69 of the NFF Statute, 2010 to help solve the plight of the players.
Upon their refusal, the Legal Advocacy Group, in a letter to the Minister, urged him to exercise his power over the NFF as contained in Sec.19 sub 1 & 2 part VII of Nigeria Football Association Act, LFN 2004, by directing the Federation to do the needful in ensuring the welfare of the players but that has not been done for the past one month thereby prompting the Legal Advocacy Group to head to court.
