- NFF lifts ban on Baribote, others
The Executive Committee of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has announced that Stephen Keshi will in two days sign a new contract as Super Eagles coach in preparation for the African Nations Cup qualifiers.
The committee, speaking through Emeka Inyama, after arising from a four-hour meeting at its Secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, said Keshi has agreed terms of a new contract that will run for four years.
After exhaustive deliberation, the committee also lifted the ban on former Chairman of Nigerian Premier League (NPL), Rumson Baribote.
The former NFF vice president was in October 2013 handed a 15-year ban from all football-related activities for unethical conduct which includes dragging the NFF to court to demand the dissolution of the interim Nigeria Premier League board.
Similar reprieve came the way of former Oyo State FA chairman Olaleye Adepoju; chairman of a parallel Nigeria Football Association, Jarrett Tenebe, and journalist Olajide Fashikun.
The ban on former member of the Executive Committee, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi, will be lifted once communication is received from the Court of Arbitration for Sport that he has withdrawn the case he instituted against the NFF.
Other banned persons will have their cases reviewed as soon as they appear before the committee, according to the communiqué made available to journalists after the meeting at the NFF secretariat.
Adepoju is to resume as chairman of Oyo FA and member of the NFF Executive Committee with immediate effect.
Mr. Chidi Ofor Okenwa also resumes as chairman of Enugu State Football Association.
The lifting of the ban on Baribote is as far as football-related activities are concerned, and does not restore him to his former position as chairman of the NPL.
It was also pointed out that after thorough investigation, a member of the Executive Committee, Hon. Suleiman Yahaya Kwande, was found not guilty and was therefore cleared of anti-board activities.
The committee re-affirmed the suspension of Chairman of the NFF Technical Committee, Barrister Chris Green, and Yusuf Ahmed ‘Fresh’.
Greene was suspended for six months while Ahmed was suspended for one year on Thursday August 7.
The two men are loyalists of Aminu Maigari who was impeached as NFF chairman in July.
