The Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung has said that though he met with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo after the FEC meeting, it had absolutely nothing to do with the NFF impasse or football matters at all.
He also denied media reports that Mr. Osinbajo has ‘stamped’ the Pinnick- led NFF board following FIFA’s threat to ban Nigeria indefinitely from its activities on Monday August 20, 2018 except Pinnick is given control of the federation.
In a statement, Dalung described the report as hallucinatory and invented.
The Minister also said that though he met with the Vice President after the FEC meeting, it had absolutely nothing to do with the NFF impasse or football matters at all.
“A purported ‘breaking news’ being circulated by one Daniel Ator, a ‘government house correspondent’ is totally false and a figment of an imaginary government House correspondent.
“First of all, there is no correspondent in the Government House Chapel called called Daniel Ator. Which media organization does he work for?
“At no time did Vice President Osinbajo, affirm government’s position on the NFF nor did President Mohammadu Buhari write any letter to the Attorney General of the Federation directing otherwise.
“It is a planted story and a fake news. There was no directive from the VP countering the court order. However, the issue is still being handled by the Committee of NFF Elders Stakeholders, therefore, we are hopeful that the parties in the crisis will be able to come to an amicable resolution of the issue. Nevertheless, the status quo remains.
“The statement represents the desperation of interests reflected in trying to counter a Supreme Court Order and is grossly misguided.
“This is not about a faction of an NFF leadership. It is an issue of the decision of the Nigerian court Vs an International statute. The truth cannot be overturned, “ Dalung stated.