FIFA Snubs Dalung’s Visit Proposal, Warns Against Bringing Giwa To FIFA Headquarters; Insists On Monday Deadline

FIFA has turned down request by Nigeria’s sports minister, Solomon Darling to visit its offices in Zurich, Switzerland for the purpose of discussing the current crisis bedevilling the country’s football.

The Nigerian embassy in Switzerland had on behalf of the minister written a letter to FIFA seeking to meet the leadership of the world soccer ruling body to discuss issues bordering on Nigerian football and the leadership tussle.

But FIFA, in a letter signed by general secretary, Fatma Samoura, turned down the request stating that the president of the body, Gianni Infantino is indisposed at the moment.

FIFA, in the letter also stated that a member of the delegation for the proposed visit, Chris Giwa , who claimed to have been legitimately elected as president of the Nigeria Football Federation and is currently serving a worldwide ban is not qualified visit FIFA.

“We refer to the correspondence dated 15 August 2018 from Ambassador of Nigeria in Switzerland, H.E Baba Madugu, the contents of which have received our full attention,” reads the letter from FIFA.

” In this respect, while we are of the seriousness and urgency of the matter, we regret to inform you that we are not in a position to respond favourably to your request for an appointment. Intact, the FIFA president is indisposed during the proposed period.

“Moreover, we would like to recall that one member of the proposed delegation, Mr Chris Giwa, is currently under a worldwide ban, in accordance with the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee dated 10 January 2017 to extend to the five-year ban from taking part in any football-related activity imposed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Disciplinary Committee on 12 May 2016.”

FIFA further reminded the Nigeria sports minister of its earlier stance on suspending Nigeria from participating in international football as the Amaju Pinnick led a NFF board has been prevented from discharging their duties as the one recognised the world football governing body

“In this context, we would like to seize this opportunity to remind you as the per the decision rendered by FIFA’s bureau of the council on 13 August 2018. In the event, the NFF offices are not handed back to the legitimate NFF under President Amaju Melvin Pinnick by Monday, 20 August, 2018 at 12.00 (CET), the NFF will be suspended with immediate effect for contravening binding obligations of the FIFA statues.

“The suspension would only be lifted once the NFF, under Amaju Melvin Pinnick and general secretary, Mohammed Sanusi confirm that they were given back the effective control of the NFF and its offices.