By Harry Awurumibe
Following the recent appointment of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick into one of its most important committees, the Organising Committee for Competitions, some stakeholders have applauded the gesture from the world football ruling body, the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA).
Pinnick’s letter of appointment, dated January, 18, 2017 and signed by Fatma Samoura, the Secretary General, read inter alia: “We are very pleased to inform you that you have been appointed member of the Organising Committee for FIFA Competitions. We wish you our sincere congratulations on this appointment. “The FIFA administration is at your disposal through the following Administration Officer, who will be in contact with you regarding the upcoming meetings and any further aspects relating to your office as member of this committee: Colin Smith, Chief Competitions Officer.
“We wish you great success and enjoyment in this role at FIFA and look forward to welcoming you soon to Zurich.”
The Organising Committee for FIFA Competitions is headed by Aleksander Ceferin, President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The tenure of members is for 2017-2021.
Also, In line with the new FIFA reforms, each proposed member of any of the committees was made to go through a comprehensive integrity check conducted by several organisations of global relevance and stature.
Pinnick’s appointment, and in particular the thorough and painstaking checks that he passed with full marks, is a big thumbs –up for Nigerian Football, and puts out the light on the unsavoury innuendoes and deliberate mischief of a few individuals intent on putting the country’s game under a cloud.
As a member of the CAF Organising Committee for the Africa Cup of Nations, Pinnick is presently at the 31st Africa Cup finals ongoing in Gabon, and will be match commissioner for Saturday’s potentially –explosive West African derby between Mali and Ghana.
The new member of the Organising Committee for FIFA Competitions, who swivelled through the ranks of football administration (from board member to second vice chairman, first vice chairman and chairman of Delta State Football Association, to Executive Chairman of Delta State Sports Commission before his election as President of Nigeria Football Federation in September 2014), is also a candidate for election into the Executive Committee of Confederation of African Football.
The CAF elections will take place at the 39th Ordinary General Assembly of the organization in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 16th March 16, 2017.
Meanwhile, some football stakeholders have described Pinnick’s new FIFA appointment as a sign of good working relationship between NFF and the world football governing body at a time the Nigerian public are being made to see the NFF in bad light.
Chief Charles Azubuike, a football financier and chairman, De Charliz Fast foods Limited stated that the FIFA appointment is
a stamp of approval for the NFF president, adding that it is not a no mean achievement for Pinnick to be so recognized by FIFA to be appointed into one of its very important committees.
For Alhaji Ganiyu Olowokere, the sponsor of Top Stars Football Academy in Ketu, Lagos, Nigerians should see Pinnick’s FIFA appointment as an endorsement of the Delta-born football administrator as one of the finest brains that will help drive the new FIFA leadership hence he should be supported by his own country Nigeria to get into the Confederation of Africa Football CAF Executive Committee instead of antagonising him.
