The sports minister says he has no authority to remove the NFF president following the country’s inability to qualify for Gabon 2017

Nigeria's Sports minister Solomon Dalung has said he has no powers to authorise the resignation of Amaju Pinnick as president of Nigeria Football Federation following the country's failure to qualify for Gabon 2017.

Pinnick is under fire with increasing calls for his resignation following the Super Eagles' failure to qualify for a second consecutive Africa Cup of Nations after a 1-0 defeat to Egypt. But the NFF boss declared that he would not resign and instead would see out his four-year tenure.

Dalung blamed Nigeria’s exit on administrative infighting and impact of needless hiring and firing of Super Eagles’ coaches with three different coaches – Stephen Keshi, Sunday Oliseh and Samson Siasia in charge.

"I can't force him [Amaju Pinnick] to resign," Dalung said at a press conference in Abuja on Friday.

"I will advise [Nigerians] need a more persuasive army to put pressure on his conscience, so that he can reason with you.

"Except if you say I should resign, I will reflect and see whether I’ve acted in any way that I deserve to leave, then I will quit.

"If you are asking the NFF president to resign and directing the question to me that’s not fair because I’m not Amaju (Pinnick).

"The hiring and firing of coaches itself is a problem and when shall we have an end to it.

"I've always argued that if the coaches have always been wrong and NFF has been right? The number of coaches they have fired showed something is wrong with them (NFF).

"We have to look at both sides of the coin to assess the problem. My few days I think we have over project personal interest over and above national interest.

"You don't assess someone by just one performance. You give the person ample opportunity and generate accurate data to assess before you pass a fair verdict.

"The hiring and firing of our coaches’ just on one outing speaks volume of our sense of judgment. I think it's not the best for Nigeria football and must end now.”

"I'm hearing for the first time that Siasia has been sacked. As much as I feel unhappy that we did not qualify, I think it is normal for us to x-ray the whole activities before apportioning blame. I've not been communicated that Siasia has been fired,” he continued.

"We are here to discuss the development of sports and not to attack personalities. I will defend Oliseh many times and Nigerians too. I'm a human right activist and do not decide matters on mere sentiments. I hold on to issues before i take them. I cannot go and pick social media gossip and domesticate it.

"My officials position when they were saying 'sack Oliseh' and I only asked the NFF to go and have a rethink if they feel sacking Oliseh will be in the interest of our qualification.

"That may have helped them to safe Oliseh, but I didn't save Oliseh as a person but for the interest of the country.

"If Oliseh's role is instrumental to our failure, Tuesday meeting will bring it out. And I will know where take it from that point.”

On plans to engage a foreign coach, Dalung considered the NFF’s move as opinion seeking polls from Nigerians and further questioned their rationale.

He added: “Maybe people are trying to test the opinion of Nigerians over the issues of a foreign coach on the social.

“I think when we discuss, I need to be carried along and I need to be convinced on why we need a foreign coach.

“And if we finally agree on a foreign coach, they will also answer this question why we can't get a National coach from Nigeria.

"Then that will be an indictment on our country. Certainly we have qualified ourselves as incompetent to continue. But I believe we can make good of any bad situation,” he concluded.

Dalung is expected to make his stands known after his next Tuesday meeting with NFF to assess the country's 2017 Afcon failed qualification and seek a way forward.


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