Respite has come the way of Dolphins striker, Emem Eduok, as the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) has allowed him to return to the Super Eagles.
This decision was revealed in the communiqué of the association board’s fourth meeting held in Lagos to discuss important issues in Nigerian football.
NFA Chairman, Amaju Pinnick, had earlier asked the player to leave the camp of the Super Eagles Team B in Abuja, preparing for two friendly matches in Abu Dhabi.
Eduok had been enmeshed in a transfer controversy involving two foreign clubs.
“In line with a directive by the NFA President, the Chairman of Technical and Development Committee, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, presented the report of his investigation into the controversy over the transfer of Eduok.
“The report was immediately referred to the Committee on Ethics and Fairplay for prompt and decisive action.
“In the meantime, the player is now free to return to the National Team camp,’’ the meeting’s communiqué said.
It also said the board adopted the majority report of the members of the NFA 2014 Electoral Appeals Committee.
The Committee had upheld in its entirety the results of the NFA 2014 Elective Congress of Sept. 30, 2014 in Warri, Delta.
“In line with the provisions of the NFA Electoral Code, which states without ambiguity that the decision of the Electoral Appeals Committee on election matters is final, the board now declares that all issues arising from the NFA 2014 Elective Congress are now fully rested.’’
The communiqué also said the NFA board further approved far-reaching recommendations by its Marketing, Sponsorship and Television Advisory Committee.
“These include the registration of all NFA Property, including marks, logos and signs, and the involvement of the Marketing Department and Legal Unit in negotiations on international friendly and hosting rights of other matches.
“Others are the commercialisation of kits sponsorships in the interim, following the expiration of the contract with Adidas, and the establishment of a Compliance Unit in the Marketing Department to protect all rights from ambush and non-compliance from within the NFA.
“The rest are the appointment of more marketing consultants/agents in a new strategy to expand revenue base, and the establishment of an integrated Super Eagles’ fan base for capacity building, using the website as a revenue stream,’’ it said.
The board, according to the communiqué, also composed the Emergency Committee, with Pinnick as Chairman and Seyi Akinwunmi as Vice-Chairman.
The other members are Ibrahim Gusau, Anyansi-Agwu, Yusuf Ahmed and Babagana Kalli.
“The board also composed the Establishment Committee, with Gusau as Chairman, Hussaini Modibbo as Vice-Chairman, and Sunday Dele-Ajayi, Ahmed and Dilichukwu Onyedinma as other members,’’ it said.
The communiqué said further that the board endorsed a proposal by the Referees Committee to set up a panel of Match Assessors which shall be made up of only referees.
“For this, 60 Nigerians had been trained by world football governing body FIFA since year 2011,’’ it said.
The communiqué also said the board endorsed a proposal for the expansion of the Media Unit into a full Communications Department.
“This is in line with what obtains at FIFA and CAF, and in keeping with best practice,’’ it said.