By Gracious Akujobi Chairman Senate Committee on Sports, Adamu Gumba says the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) autonomy bill is set for final reading at the Senate.
He told Prompt News Online that his committee has packaged the bill for final reading at the plenary.
“I presented the bill to the Senate; it passed through the first and second reading and we have conducted public hearing.
“We have done almost everything ready for presentation at plenary and once it is presented, it will be taken.
“Hopefully, before the end of the year, it will be taken for final reading.
“At the end of the day, we will have a conference of some selected members of both chambers of the National Assembly committees on sports and adopt clauses that are well prepared.
“It is the tradition where you have a bicameral National Assembly.
“Both chambers will have to jointly seat to iron out areas of differences,’’ Gumba said.
He noted that the momentum gathered by football in the country, in recent times, started with the Senate.
Gumba also attributed the success recorded at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations to the Senate’s honest criticism of the declining state of sports, especially football, in the country.
According to him, other benefits that derived from the Senate’s passion for the development of sports included the national retreat on sports hosted by President Goodluck Jonathan with special emphasis on football.
Others are the public hearing on sports and the inspection of the six national stadia in the country to look at the facilities available.
The Senator also said that both Houses of the National Assembly would jointly seat to harmonize the bill before sending it to President Goodluck Jonathan for assent as the proposed law is expected to give NFF powers to pilot its affairs without interference from any quarter.
