The Nigerian Professional League’s governing body has been outlawed by the Federal Government of Nigeria for nearly a decade.
This development was contained in a press release issued on Friday by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ismaila Abubakar.
The ministry said the drastic action became necessary, especially after a court of competent jurisdiction declared the League Management Company (LMC) illegal.
It is being argued that the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) fraudulently floated the CML to avoid and evade pre-existing debts and other obligations owed by the organization he succeeded; the Nigeria Premier League Limited, which is originally required by law to run a professional football league in Nigeria.
Therefore, the federal government advised the NFF to immediately withdraw the license granted to the LMC and, in the meantime, establish an Interim Management Committee (IMC).
In view of the several unpleasant incidents related to the management of the Football League, specifically, the declaration of the National Football League (NFL) as an illegal body by the Court; the status of the League Management Company (LMC), the successor to the NFL title is outside the scope of the NFF Bylaws; the Federal Government is forced to withdraw its recognition of the LMC as the operator of the Nigerian Professional Football League, effective immediately.
This decision has become necessary due to the obvious aberration (which is in disagreement with our football statutes or the laws of the country) whereby a private company receives the mandate to manage or administer the league indefinitely, without the full participation and leadership of the clubs, and lacking any process to monitor the progress and development of the game.
As a consequence of the above, and in order to rescue our national football from total collapse, the Federal Government would no longer be recognized by the Federal Government as the operator of the Nigeria professional football league.
To prevent further chaos in our national football, it is recommended that the NFF immediately withdraw the License granted to the LMC and in the meantime establish an Interim Management Committee (IMC), to include the current CEO and COO of LMC to oversee the affairs of the League until a suitable Professional League Board is constituted in accordance with the NFF Statutes.
The declaration was signed by the permanent secretary Ismaila Abubakar.
