NPLF stakeholders have opined that the ongoing stadium inspection of teams by LMF could spell a new date to kick off the league.
According to the LMC, the League “Would kick off on the 23rd of September 2022”, with the four newly promoted teams from the NNL- Bayelsa United, Doma United, Elkanemi Warriors, and Bendel Insurance.
Recall also that the Federal Government earlier this month scrapped the League Management Company managing the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
The federal government also ordered the Nigeria Football Federation to withdraw the LMC license and set up an Interim Management Committee to oversee the league.
The directive was contained in a press statement issued by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ismaila Abubakar.
The statement read, “In view of the several unpleasant incidents regarding 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 NFL’s successor-in-title being outside the purview of the Statutes of the NFF; the Federal Government is constrained to withdraw its recognition of the LMC as the operator of the Nigeria Professional Football League, with immediate effect.
“This 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.
READ ALSO:
Ukraine To Hold Cycling Championships In Britain
“Sequel to the above, and in order to rescue our domestic football from total collapse, the board of the LMC and the LMC as a body would no longer be recognized by the federal government as operator of the Nigerian Professional Football Federation (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.”
READ ALSO:
While football stakeholders are asking if this could be the reason for the non-start of the league on the proposed date, others are of the belief that the LMC has not been consistent when it comes to starting the league at the appointed dates.
