AS part of efforts to find a lasting peace to the lingering crises rocking the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the Dominic Oneya-led ministerial committee on the reform of football in Nigeria has recommended a far reaching decision to sanitise Nigerian football including the constitution of an Aribitration Panel to adjudicate on football matters in the country.The committee which submitted its report to the NFF only last week Wednesday, strongly recommended that football matters should be ruled out of court jurispudence.Rather, the panel recommended that an Arbitration panel should be constituted by the executive committee of the NFF to deal with pre and post election matters, to prevent resort to conventional courts for settlement of football matters by aggrevied stakeholders.The committee also recommended 'the immediate amendment or repeal of the NFA Act, and the enactment of a new legal structure which conforms with the spirit and character of the reform to give effect to, not later than August 2012 where it is impracticable to repeal the Act before August 2012, the proposed reforms should take a gradual effect to August 2013 when the tenure of the present board would have elapsed.Digging deep into the NFF problems, the Oneya committee equally recommended a minimum educational requirement, and an age ceiling for aspiring candidates into the executive committee.Candidates wishing to contest elections into the executive committee of the NFF, including the Board of the premier league must have a minimum qualification of a Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent and must not be below the age of 25 years or above the age of 65 years.Part of the recommendation also stated that 'a candidate shall not be barred from contesting elections into the board of the NFF by reason of not being a member of management, board member of a football club or state FA.'Indeed, all stakeholders are eligible to contest elections as long as they possess the needed requirement.' said the report.
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