President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and FIFA Council Member, Amaju Pinnick on Monday inaugurated the local organising committee of the Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Tournament, saying that values of integrity, diligence, hard work, probity and pursuit of excellence should be the body’s watchwords.
“I want to emphasize on the need for this committee to always be conscious of the name attached to this tournament,” Pinnick said.
“The name of Mrs Aisha Buhari, First Lady of the Federal Republic, which is attached to this competition stands for decency, uprightness and patriotism.”
“We should organize a tournament that upholds all these virtues and also gives credence to the stature of Nigeria as a nation of intelligent, knowledgeable and enterprising people. I enjoin you to work in close collaboration with the Lagos State Government,” Pinnick added.
“We will also be doing everything to uphold accountability, so your committee will have to work with NFF’s auditing and financial advisers, PriceWaterHouseCoopers and Financial Derivatives respectively. The NFF and the Nigeria Football family expect the best from you.”
“I inaugurate you on behalf of the NFF Executive Committee and the Nigeria Football Congress.”
Pinnick also disclosed that the tournament will be an annual event. Responding, Chairman of the LOC, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, assured that the committee will work assiduously towards raising the needed funds for a successful organization of the tournament.
He said the committee would also put in place a structure that will engender diligence and probity, with close attention to details and accent on proactivity.
“I am enamoured by the calibre of persons in this committee and I have confidence that we will deliver a tournament to be proud of,” Akinwunmi said.
“It is important to use this tournament to create one more positive narrative about our country’s ability to deploy its teeming human and material resources to make a statement.”
The committee immediately appointed Ademola Olajire as the Director of Publicity.
Present at the inauguration which was done virtually were Amaju Pinnick, Barr Akinwunmi, Dr Mohammed Sanusi (NFF General Secretary), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau (Member), Aisha Falode (Director of Organization), Mrs Amina Daura (Deputy Director of Organization), Hon. Ayo Omidiran (Member), Rt. Hon. Margaret Icheen (Member).
AIG Umar Baba (Member), Dr Mohammed Kamal (Member), Ademola Olajire (Member), Miss Kemi Areola (Member), Chisom Ezeoke (Member), Ese Okpomo (Member), Ufuoma McDermott (Member), Olayinka Olagbemiro (Member), Kola Daniel (Member), Ruth David (Secretary) and Mallam Mohammed Ameenu.
