Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN) has urged the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to set up a Committee of Enquiry to probe the activities of the League Management Company (LMC) in the last nine years of operation.
The Supreme Court on Friday 2nd September, 2022 declared the formation of LMC that currently runs the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) as an aberration and deceit.
Delivering the judgement, Justice Justice Ejembi Eko said the LMC was fraudulently floated to avoid and evade pre-existing debts and other obligations owed by the Nigeria Premier League Limited that is mandated by law to run Professional Football League in Nigeria. Based on this, the Ministry of Sports after critical investigation declared the LMC illegal and urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) set up an Independent Management Committee to take charge pending the constitution of a legal body.
PFAN Task Force Chairman, Harrison Jalla in a realese made available to BSN Sports urged the Ministry of Sports not to allow the leaders of the League Management Company go scot-free without being accountable and make public the balance sheet and the dividend they have paid to the shareholders for nine years.
Harrison Jalla while commending the Ministry of Sports for the clean-up to better the domestic League urged the supervising body to order the LMC leaders make public the expenditure and income of the company since 2013.
“The Ministry of Sports has done Nigeria domestic League a great favour by declaring illegal the LMC. The LMC should show Football stakeholders and Nigerians the assets it is leaving behind for the Interim Management Committee after 9 years of managing the NPFL. This is because the Chief Oyiuki Obaseki of blessed memory/ Prince Davidson Owumi/Chief Rumson Baribote led Board in few years of their operations left massive asset for the NPL which consist of a building where the NPL headquarters was situated, official cars and buses, good welfare packages for staff and up to date and prompt payments of match indemnities.
“The NPFL as the flagship of Nigeria’s domestic football should be assisted with a take-off grant from the federal government of Nigeria for the IMC to operate in the interim until the battered Image of the NPFL already tainted with several dubious transactions and pending litigations are properly cleaned up.
“An independent panel or committee of enquiry into the activities of the LMC from inception particularly as it concerns public funds received by way of sponsorships for the development of football in Nigeria. “The PFAN task force appreciates the bold and pragmatic step by the Hon. Minister to start the needed reforms in our domestic football by sacking the LMC.” The statement reads.
The Ministry of sports on Friday nailed the coffin of the League Management Committee LMC ordering the dissolution of the operator of the Nigeria Professional Football League owing to several unpleasant incidents regarding its management of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and set up an Interim Management Committee to take over.
A statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Sports Ministry, Ismaila Abubakar stated that the Federal Government is constrained to withdraw its recognition of the LMC as the operator of the Nigeria Professional Football League, with immediate effect.
The statement said the decision has become necessary because of the obvious aberration (which is at variance with our football statutes or the laws of the land) whereby a private company is GIFTED the mandate to manage or run the league indefinitely, without the full involvement of and leadership by the clubs, and devoid of any process to monitor the progress and development of the game.
It further said sequel to this and in order to rescue our domestic football from total collapse, the board of LMC and the LMC as a body would no longer be recognised by the Federal Government of Nigeria as Operator of the NPFL.
“To avert further chaos in our domestic football, the NFF is advised to immediately withdraw the Licence given to the LMC and, in the meantime, set up an Interim Management Committee (IMC), to include the current Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of the LMC to oversee the affairs of the League until a proper Professional League Board is constituted in accordance with the Statutes of the NFF,” it concluded
