This may be a little too late as a decision is bound to be taken by the Emergency Commit­tee of FIFA this morning. The decision will have a grave consequence on Nigeria, should Chris Giwa continue as the self-imposed president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The Emergency Committee stated last Wednesday that Nigeria would be suspended with immediate effect, should there still be persons claiming to have been elected to NFF positions on 26th August 26, 2014, and occupying their offices by 8am today at 08.00.
The effect will mean that Nigeria will not be able to play the scheduled Africa Nations Cup qualifier with South Africa on Wednesday. And that may put to an end, the possibility of defending the trophy won last year. This is the result of the action of a man who has put personal ego and interest over that of the nation.
It may have been a dream for the self-styled NFF president to direct affairs when the national team is in action, but last Saturday has indeed turned a national nightmare.
It may be a harbinger of worse things to come. For the first time in 33 years, Nigeria lost a competitive game at home. The last time that happened was on October 10, 1981, when Algeria beat Nigeria 2-0 in the last stage of Spain ’82 World Cup qualifier.
Already, qualification for the 2015 Africa Nations Cup is doubtful. It was in a similar manner that Nige­ria began the quest for the 2012 edition amid FIFA’s axe dangling over the country as we prepared to face Guinea in October 2010.
Eventually, Nigeria lost the match as it happened last Saturday and had to struggle till the last match day of the qualifiers. Nigeria ended up missing out of the competition.
We are now following the same path. With the disorganised situation within the NFF, there is really no one to ensure the Super Eagles are adequately prepared for the challenges ahead.
Chris Giwa has tenaciously laid claim to the head­ship of the NFF since the controversial congress of August 26. There is an apparent, if not glaring government complicity in Giwa’s appropriation of the NFF headship.
The building currently occupied by the NFF is government-owned. There have been instances when agents of government sealed up the building and dis­allowed those the government was not pleased with from entering it. That Giwa moves into the building is a clear evidence that he has the support of the gov­ernment through the National Sports Commission.
When government is not pleased with a person occupying positions in sports, we have seen actions taken in the past. The late Patrick Okpomo was re­called while the aircraft he was traveling in to South Africa was already airborne in 1996 when Nigeria pulled out of the Africa Nations Cup and prevented Nigerian officials from participation.
When it was desirable not to allow Aminu Maigari participate in the August 26 congress, the govern­ment agencies knew what to do.
With diverse problematic issues ranging from Boko Haram insurgency to the Ebola Virus Disease confronting Nigeria as a nation, adding football problems will only worsen matters. Football has proved to be not just a game, but the glue holding the country together.
If national interest were to be considered, Chris Giwa should, this morning, vacate the offices of the NFF president and contest again since he considers himself a popular candidate. One is not against his emergence as president. But Nigeria should not be pulled down for his sake.
The Nigerian football community had earlier this year yielded to his demands when his club, Giwa FC, failed to meet the requirements to feature in the Premier League. It is an irony that the club owner, whose interest was magnanimously accommodated, is the one now working towards getting Nigeria

Giwa, it’s time to go