The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has written to Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side Rivers United, demanding a public retraction on their tirade after the governing body ratified the Points Per Game (PPG) table of league organisers, League Management Company (LMC).
The Port Harcourt based side had on Thursday spoken through Rivers State’s Commissioner for Sports, Boma Iyaye who severely criticised the NFF’s Football Committee stance on the final PPG table for the 2019/20 season.
In a reaction to the media outburst, the NFF on Friday wrote to United, through its affiliate member, the Rivers State Football Association, advising the club to withdraw its ill-thought statements or face appropriate sanctions.
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While acknowledging that the club had rights to appeal against a decision, the NFF frowned at the condescending tone of the public statement by the club and also took exception to the strong words used against Principals of the Federation; Amaju Pinnick and Shehu Dikko.
The NFF letter reads in parts:
“Fundamentally, this action by Rivers United is clearly a breach of the stipulations of the NFF Code of Ethics and the NFF Statutes 2010 with regards to the responsibilities and obligations of a member of the NFF.
“You are therefore advised to publicily repudiate and/or withdraw the disparaging statements and tender a public apology within 48 hours, upon the failure of which appropriate disciplinary actions would be taken against Rivers United Football Club within the necessary provisions of the NFF Statutes 2010, the NFF Ethics Code and indeed the NPFL Framework and Rules.”
Iyaye had criticised NFF’s President, Pinnick’s trip to Abia State (home state of United’s rivals Enyimba) last Friday while also adding that Pinnick and his “co-travellers” have taken Nigerian Football 50 years backwards.
The 48-hour window by the NFF will lapse on Sunday evening, with further developments expected to unfold on the matter next week.
