Prof of Law to NFF: Create a Special Court to Handle Football Related Disputes or else...

 

By: Michael Odetunde

NFF have been advised to create a special court that will handle football related matters via a legal frame work in Nigeria football ecosystem. 

A Board member and Legal Adviser of Enyimba Football Club of Aba,  Professor (Barrister) Obioma Collins gave the advice yesterday (Saturday) while featuring in an popular online WhatsApp program, tagged Super Interview held at, *Sports World Platform* anchored by *Sunday Agunbiade (Mr VAR*) and *Wale Oye*. The University lecturer turns football administrator was of the views that the conventional court has no place in FIFA statues, hence , it must not be seen as advantage to subject Nigeria entity to draconia state which is against the principle of natural justice.

Some football administrators are taking advantage of this reason owing players, coaches and backroom staff backlog of salaries without taking into cognizance the principle of justice of the entity called Nigeria.  He then said that the NFF, CAF, FIFA has by this reason ousted the conventional Courts from adjudicating on its matter and there must be creation of alternative by the NFF to avoid anarchy in the administration of football in Nigeria 

"It is advisable if NFF can fathom something or create a special court that will handle football matters. Let the NFF give them a legal frame work and time frame to dispense justice for those who have been shortchanged by corrupt football administrators .The University lecturer submitted 

A Legal luminary noted that, giving them time frame will help every dispute to be concluded within possible time noting that with this, the Nigeria football is good to go. 

A Legal practitioner cum administrator, however de-emphasize players going to conventional court as it's against the FIFA rules and standards regulations. He then stressed that there is a philosophical basis and it's very appalling seen players go to court against his clubs. 

He then acknowledged that, FIFA have tried to avoid suppression of extant aws but it's left for the football governing body to domesticate those laws to protect stakeholders from being shortchanged in their states.

The Head of Department of Law in Abia State University,  advised the NPFL to tow the line of FIFA and create foral for fruitful resolutions such that nobody will be thinking of going to court to seek redress. 

While commenting on the rules that guide the coaches, He commented that FIFA rules are more concerned about player's protection as well as club's protection, noting that FIFA rules are careless about coaches. He concluded that the coaches who have legal documents with club can approach the court as their relationship is like employer and employee situation which can be handled by industrial court 

"When it comes to coaches, there's something I need to say here, these can be viewed in two perspectives, in the first instance, FIFA rules are more concerned with player's protection as well as club's protection, so FIFA rules are careless about coaches because it's like employee and employer situation which can be adjudicated by National Industrial court . He concluded