Seyi Akinwunmi Charity Show Gets Bigger And Better

The stadium announcer’s regular refrain that “it’s getting bigger and better” simply spoke the minds of all who were there as the second edition of the Seyi Akinwunmi Charity Mini-Tournament held with much funfare at the Campos Square, Lagos on Sunday.

Majority Leader in the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila was there, as well as NFF President Amaju Pinnick, Chairman of the Lagos State Sports Commission Deji Tinubu, NFF 2nd Vice President Shehu Dikko, NFF Board Member Sunday Dele-Ajayi and Hon. Nduka Irabor.

There were also the Seirki of Egbaland, Oba Tosin Fadare, President of the Nigeria Referees Association Tade Azeez, President of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club Rafiu Oladipo and Chairmen of Football Associations of Ogun and Oyo States, Ganiyu Majekodunmi and James Odeniran. Former Ekiti State FA chairman Isaac Ayodele was also in attendance.

Akinwunmi, who captained the Igbobi College Old Boys Association and Friends in the veterans’ game against Amaju Pinnick –led All-Stars said at the end: “I am very excited because this is only the second edition and yet, it feels like it has been going on for decades. The number of dignitaries, the atmosphere, the goodwill, I’m so happy.

“I believe there is no greater joy in giving back to the society, and the I’m very comfortable with the cause that the Seyi Akinwunmi Foundation has chosen.”

NFF President Amaju Pinnick, who played the entire duration of the veterans’ game and scored a stunner for the opening goal in his team’s 3-2 win, said: “The twin factors of assisting the young ones to attain academic and sporting excellence by the Seyi Akinwunmi Charity Foundation is noble. We must commend Seyi Akinwunmi for coming up with this idea.

“The present NFF administration is committed to youth development, so we will always give total support to projects like this.”

NFF 2nd Vice President Shehu Dikko, who also played the entire duration of the veterans’ game, on the side of the All-Stars that posted some eye –catching displays, also lauded the Akinwunmi Foundation: “There is absolutely nothing like giving back to the humanity. This program is spot-on in the area of charity and youth development and deserves the support of every lover of humanity.”

Conceived as a special project to give back to the society, by an individual who is much in love with the young ones, the Seyi Akinwunmi Charity Mini Tournament is the eponymous charity event organized by the Seyi Akinwunmi Charity Foundation.

Its objectives include rehabilitation of ailing ex-international footballers. Embedded therein also is a Courage Education Foundation (CEF) – a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the empowerment of the Nigerian child through the provision of quality education available to all Nigerian children irrespective of sex, faith or ethnicity, as well as Consolidation of The Future Stars Project – a grassroots football development program targeted at kids (mainly under 13 years of age) and hinged on the binary factors of sporting and academic excellence.

There were matches by teams in the U-13 category as curtain-raiser, while the final of the Mini-Tournament itself, between Team MTN and 36 Lion Investment, ended 2-1 in favour of Team MTN.

Enugu FA Expels Ray Nnaji…,As Green, Ladan, Majek Retain FA Chairmanship Seats

The Enugu State Football Association says it has expelled Barrister Ray Nnaji “from all football and football –related activities forthwith.”

Rising from its meeting of 18th February, 2015 held at the FA Boardroom inside the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, the FA lambasted Nnaji for “very unwholesome activities amounting to gross breach of extant Laws, Rules, Regulations and Ethos of football in words, deeds and actions.” He was expelled, according to the FA, “in accordance with article 65 (2b) of the FIFA Statutes 2014 and article 34(l & m) of the NFF Statutes 2010.”

The communiqué, among other points, also conveyed “appreciation to the Government and good people of Nigeria in general and Enugu State in particular for their good understanding of the silent revolution taking place in Nigeria football.”

The Enugu FA also reposed “explicit confidence in the activities of the 2015 Enugu State Football Association Electoral Committee,” ahead of the Enugu State FA elections slated for Thursday, February 26.

Green, Ladan, Majek Retain FA Chairmanship Seats

Barrister Christopher Green, Alhaji Abubakar Ladan and Alhaji Ganiyu Majekodunmi have retained their seats as bosses of the Rivers State Football Association, Kebbi State Football Association and Ogun State Football Association respectively.

Green, member of the NFF Executive Committee and chairman of the NFF Disciplinary Committee, was elected after polling 14 out of the 17 votes cast at the elections monitored by Chairman of the NFF State Elections Monitoring Committee, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau. His opponent, China Acheru got two votes, while one vote was declared invalid.

In Kebbi, Alhaji Abubakar Ladan, former member of NFF Executive Committee, also retained his seat, but was unopposed. The composition of the new Kebbi State FA executive board is now: Ladan (chairman); Moh’d Tukur Hassan (vice chairman); Haliru S. Haliru (member); Yakubu Daudu Machika (member); Yunusa Sama’ila Jega (member); Abubakar Moh’d Carlos (member); Abubakar Rufa’i Gwandu (member); Sani Bara Zana (member); Aminu Musa Yaldu (member).

In Abeokuta, incumbent Alhaji Ganiyu Majekodunmi and his entire executive board got 20 ‘yes’ voice votes to retain their seats, at a congress declared open by the Ogun State Director of Sports, Mr. Sola Faleti.

The chairman of the Abeokuta local council football body, who said he has sent a protest letter to the NFF, was the only person out of the eligible 21 delegates that did not vote, at an election supervised by Yusuf Ahmed Fresh, member of the NFF Executive Committee and chairman of the NFF Referees Committee.