TheCable

Minister of sports, Tammy Danagogo, has called for the formation of a functional Court of Arbitration for Sports in the country.

In a telephone interview with TheCable on Wednesday, Danagogo said that the court is necessary to settle the recurring disputes and civil court cases in the football industry that have put the country at loggerheads with FIFA.

“We don’t have a Court of Arbitration for Sport in this country and we need one,” he said.

“I was told the modalities for setting up one is in place, but I will have to fast-track its establishment, and I will work with the National Olympic Commission because its establishment is under their purview.”

Danagogo explained that the purpose of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is to bring about the resolution of sports-related disputes, which are submitted to it through ordinary arbitration or through appeal against the decisions of sports bodies or organisations.

“The first president of the CAS, Juan Antonio Samaranch, envisaged a ‘kind of Hague Court in the sports world,’”, he added.

“With this court in place, any aggrieved party can take their case there. So, a situation whereby the NFF will be the prosecutor, defendant, and judge on any matter will longer happen.”

FIFA’s deadline for the country to reinstate the Aminu Maigari-led NFF board expires on Thursday, but the minister is hopeful the issue will be resolved before then.

“I’m optimistic that Nigeria will not be banned,” he said.

“The fact-finding committee that went to see FIFA are back. We will meet and address and resolve all the issues so as to avoid being banned by FIFA.”

Danagogo used the opportunity to clarify the misconception about FIFA encouraging corruption in NFF.

“Some people are getting things wrong,” he said.

“FIFA do not condone corruption and they are not saying the NFF cannot be probed, but what they frown at is taking the NFF as a body to court, plus government interfering with the board.

“NFF members who violate the law can be taken to court but not the body. They know government funds the game in Nigeria and has the right to know how money is spent, but they can’t sack the board arbitrarily.”