Sports disputes: Amiesimaka assures on justice for all

By John Egbokhan
Former Rivers State Attorney General, Barr. Adokie Amiesimaka has said that the  many wrongs undermining the development of sports would be corrected when the Nigerian Court of Arbitration for Sports (NCAS) comes on stream in the next few month.

Speaking yesterday after the planning committee of the NCAS, of which he is the chairman, was inaugurated by the President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Sani Ndanusa, the former Green Eagles stalwart, said that the NCAS was going to be run independently from the control of the National Sports Commission, the NOC and other interested sports bodies, who might be angling to influence the decisions of the court.

Amiesimaka, who heads a 10-member team of resourceful legal minds, comprising Barr. Ahmed Sarduana Obande, Dr Olatunde Olatawura, Barr. Osazu Obayuwana, Mrs. Chinwe Uwandu, Kevin Nwosu, Barr. Ngozi Paul-Ajayi, Barr. Zainab Kuchi, Barr. Mohamed Sani Katu and Barr. Wahid Enitan Oshodi, urged all aggrieved sports federations persons to bring their sports disputes to the court for arbitration rather than the endless litigation in the ordinary court of law.

Amiesimaka said that all the members of the planning committee were humbled to be saddled with the onerous task of fashioning a blueprint for the formation of the first ever Court of Arbitration for Sports in Nigeria, stating that it was a step in the right direction to stem the tide of retrogression that has eaten deep into our sports fabric.

“Each word I utter should be taken seriously. I am so humbled to be part of this monumental,  epic-making body. Mr President sir, I must use this opportunity to thank you and other members of the NOC board on this chance of a lifetime to right the many wrongs of our sports. We would not disappoint Nigerians and you can be sure that we would, at all times, assert our independence from the NSC, and the NOC.

“The NOC embodies the spirit of Olympism, which goes beyond competition but emphasizes the spirit of tolerance, broad mindedness and charitable disposition. These are the values that the NCAS would strive to maintain always when in arbitration”, added Amiesimaka.

Speaking earlier, NOC President, urged the body to pursue fairness and objectivity in its conduct when fully operational. He also said setting up the NCAS was in line with the statutes of the International Olympic Committee and that all presidents of the Olympic sports federations in the Nigeria are fully subscribed to the idea.

Ndanusa added that all the sports federations had been mandated to submit their statutes to the planning  committee of the NCAS for critical analysis and adoption in the final statutes that would govern the modus operandi of the body when finally constituted. He said that the committee was expected to come up with its final draft resolution within four months from yesterday., upon which the NOC board would now constitute the NCAS to tackle sports related disputes.