•As NFF begins implementation of CAS ruling
The presence of former assistant coach of the Super Eagles, Sylvanus Okpala at the NFF wednesday caused tongues to wag on his come-back to the national team but the NFF made it clear that Okpala came to iron out the implementation of the ruling of the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).
Okpala dragged the NFF to the Court of Arbitration and won outrightly for his wrongful dismissal by NFF as CAS mandated the NFF to pay him all his entitlements from the date of his dismissal until the end of his contract after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Both parties were silent on amount.
Speaking to journalists after a closed door meeting, Amadu said the two bodies have begun ways of settling the matter amicably.
“We have already started instalmental payment of the areas which the federation owes Sylvanus Okpala as ruled by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).
“He came to show appreciation for the way we are handling the matter based on the agreement we had in principal. He is a member of the Nigerian football family and is welcomed to the federation any time he wishes.”
On whether he has been recalled to the national team, General Secretary said “I have told you exactly what he came here for, if he was here for the job of the Super Eagles he would have been meeting with the technical committee. I am the general secretary and I have told you what we discussed”.
Speaking further, Amadu stated that contrary to speculations in certain quarters that CAS also ruled that the former international be recalled as a coach of the Super Eagles, the scribe said that there was no truth to it as CAS cannot force the NFF to hire any staff.
“One thing I want you to understand and this is the law is that you cannot force an unwilling servant on an unwilling master. It is settled by law anywhere in the world. They cannot tell you that you must employ this person, There is no such law but having said that it was not part of the CAS ruling. He did not even ask for this in CAS and I am sure that his lawyers must have advised him accordingly. So the matter with Okpala has been settled amicably and obviously we will move in the same direction”.
The former assistant coach of the Super Eagles was sacked by the Aminu Maigari-led board immediately after the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa.
However both Okpala and Amadu refused to reveal the amount of money involved.
Some football pundits have said that the Keshi technical team missed Okpala’s input dearly since he left them.
Source: Vanguard
