An end to the constant recourse to the ordinary court of law to seek solutions to the perennial crises rocking Nigerian sports is in sight following plans by the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) to inaugurate the Nigerian Court of Arbitration of Sports tomorrow (Thursday) in Lagos.

President of the NOC, Sani Ndanusa said that the Nigerian version of the International Court of Arbitration for Sports based in Switzerland, would help in resolving sports related issues and also adjudicate in legal matters, arising from conflicts between interested members of various sports federations.

Ndanusa also said that the inauguration was going to bring to an end the constant recourse to the ordinary court of law for resolution of conflicts, like the ongoing case of the National Association of Nigerian Footballers, challenging the legitimacy of the present board of the Nigeria Football Federation led by  Aminu Maigari, with the formation of a parallel NFA body chaired by Jareth Tenebe.

Amiesimaka and Ndanusa

And in its quest to ensure that only the best legal minds are drafted into the NCAS, the NOC helmsman said the body, is going to be chaired by the former Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice of Rivers State, Adokiye Amiesimaka, ably supported by nine eminently qualified jurists of immense reputation.

The other members include Barrister Ahmed Saardauna, Barrister Enitan Oshodi, Mrs Osasu Obayiuwana, Mrs Kevin Nwosu, Mrs Chinwe Uwandu, Dr Olatunde Olatawura, Mrs Zainab Kuchi, Mrs Ngozi Ajayi and Barrister Mohammed Sani Katu.

The NOC boss urged warring parties of any sports federation to seek redress in the NCAS, stating that with their coming upstream,  Nigerian sports matters can now be effectively tackled in-house instead of the constant washing of dirty linens in public.

“We see this move as a step in the right direction to finally put an end to the unnecessary recourse to the ordinary court of law to settle sports matters. In all fairness, we do not need to be taking sports issues to the Nigerian courts if we have our strong institutions like the NCAS which will be inaugurated  today.

We should seek redress in the NCAS from now on, so that we do not heat up the system unnecessarily, which in turn, stunts the development of our sports”, said Ndanusa.