Reactions have continued to trail Wednesday's fire incident at the nation's football house with sabotage being mentioned on the part of those who have something to hide.One of these reactions is from Chief Mike Umeh, the first vice-president of the Nigeria Football Fedration (NFF) and now the leader of a faction of the embattled Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).According to Chief Umeh, what had transpired is a function of the prevailing situation in the nation's football establishment. 'There's a lot of corruption going on in Nigeria football and what we are seeing is a measure of it,' Umeh said, adding that, 'this is sabotage, simple and clear.'Umeh, who like other leaders of the football house visited the scene of the fire incident to behold a development that took many by surprise by midday on Wednesday was obviously livid with rage.'If they like let them burn down the whole of Abuja, elections will surely hold on August 26, 2014,' added Umeh, apparently reacting to the new resolve of the board to seek a new date for elections into the board from the nation's football congress. This was contained in one of the resolutions of the last board meeting.The leader of the faction of the NFF board puts issues in perspective when he posits: And to think that this is happening during office hours tells you something is happening.'On his part, Chief Rumson Baribote, recently freed from a 15-year ban wondered why such an ugly event could be happening now.'This is a mysterious fire, why is this happening now that Nigeria needs documents to explain some hanging questions' Moreover during office hour. My brother, if we are truthful to ourselves, some people have a lot of explanations to make to Nigerians,' he told our correspondent by phone.But Barrister Amadu says it will be unfair to accuse any public servant of sabotage. 'Well, to me it was just an accident. I don't think anybody, more so a public servant, will want to involve himself in arson which is a criminal offence at this time.'The president of the NFF, Alhaji Aminu Maigari sees it this way: 'Let us take it as an act of God, until the security agencies conclude theirwork which will facilitate our next action.'NFF, committee tango over election date 'Election must hold Aug 26 in Abuja 'Electoral body 'No, it cannot hold ' NFFCONFUSION trailed the date of elections into the board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) till press time on Thursday as both the NFF Executive Board and the electoral committee remained divided on the issue.While the electoral committee, headed by Amoni Biambo says the elections will go ahead on Tuesday, August 26 and in Abuja too, the NFF board says its scheduled congress in Warri the same day will determine a new date for the election.Speaking to the press on Thursday, the Rivers State-born electoral boss said what he was doing was in keeping with the electoral code.''Having followed due process of sixty-day period before elections into executive board 2014 and having collated all nomination forms from various interested candidates vying for different position into the executive committee, having screened all candidates that submitted their nomination forms to the committee, including those forms that were later collected and submitted within the grace period of extension, the body is set to go ahead with the elctions.'He said also that the August 26 date is sancroanct and has been communicated to FIFA, CAF and WAFU.However, the NFF has called on all Nigerians to discountenance Biambo's statement.'The statement must have been made in error. As far as the NFF is concerned, there will be no elections at the General Assembly of Tuesday, 26th August. There is a proposal that we are taking to the General Assembly (the supreme body of Nigeria football) for consideration and approval, with regards to the elections.''It is for the NFF and the General Assembly to propose the date for elections, not that of the electoral committee, which was put in place by the General Assembly,' NFF General Secretary, Barr. Musa Amadu, said on Thursday.Amadu expatiated that the proposal to be taken before the General Assembly on Tuesday will see to the elections being conducted not later than two weeks after the assembly, on the advice of world governing body FIFA.'The elections will definitely take place in early September, 2014. All hands are on deck to ensure that we hold the elections not later than two weeks after the Congress on Tuesday, to usher in a new Executive Committee of NFF.'...FIFA endorses proposed NFF's General AssemblyWorld football'governing body FIFA has endorsed the plan by the Nigeria Football Federation to hold a General Assembly on Tuesday, 26 August to consider and approve a new road map for elections into the NFF Executive Committee.In a letter dated August 21, addressed to NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari and signed by Deputy Secretary General, Markus Kattner, FIFA also approved of the proposal for the General Assembly to decide on the composition of the Electoral Committee and the Electoral Appeals Committee.'We take note of the decision of the NFF Executive Committee to ask the members of the upcoming congress on 26 August 2014 to consider a new road map for the elections, which should be held by no later than two weeks after the congress.'We also understand from your correspondence that the members of the congress will also decide on the composition of the electoral committees whose legitimacy had been put in doubt by some members,' the FIFA letter said.'The congress being the highest decision making body of any football association, we approve of the above plan, and as previously stated, we are supportive of an electoral process that is free and open to everybody, thereby fulfilling the requirements of the NFF regulations.'The world body also commiserated with the NFF over Wednesday morning's fire outbreak at its Abuja office.'We would like to express our support for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and its staff after a fire broke out in part of its headquarters. Fortunately, we have learnt there are no casualties and we hope that the NFF will recover quickly from this difficult situation.
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