The highest ruling body of Nigerian football, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has finally spoken on the sack of erstwhile chairman of Lagos State Football Association (LSFA), Mr Fouad Oki, even as it gave its blessing to the decisions reached at the weekend’s Extraordinary General Assembly (EGA) held by the stakeholders of Lagos football.
Two incidents took place last Saturday that turned the table upside down for the embattled former chairman.
Early in the day, an Executive Committee meeting of the LSFA had suspended Chairman Fouad Oki, while few hours later, 12 out of 14 statutory members of the Extraordinary General Assembly (EGA) of the FA found him guilty of the offences leveled against him. The EGA ordered his sack and banned him for life from all football related matters in the state.
However, the NFF, in a letter dated 26 March 2024 and addressed to the Secretary of the LSFA, acknowledged that the football body is fully aware of the situation in Lagos and is in full support of all the decisions reached by sacking the chairman and electing Liammed Gafar as the new chairman.
The NFF conveyed its warmth regards to the Lagos football stakeholders.
Acting General Secretary of the NFF, Ademola Olajire wrote: “I have the directive of the President of Nigeria Football Federation and the Executive Committee of the NFF to congratulate you on the successful EGA and to express satisfaction that the EGA has been conducted in consonance with the provisions of the Statutes of Lagos Football Association.
“Further, I am pleased to inform you that the NFF has decided to fully recognize Hajj Liammed Gafar as the chairman of Lagos State Football Association as part of the outcomes of the EGA.
“The NFF equally awaits the outcome of the LSFA executive meeting scheduled for the next few days to elect a new vice chairman of the LSFA.”
The letter concluded that the NFF looks forward to a robust football development in Lagos State with the change in baton.
