NFF Rejects Club Owners’ Purported Sack Of LMC

The Nigeria Football Association,NFA, has rejected a declaration by clubs owners/managers in the Nigeria Premier League that they have ‘sacked’ the League Management Company (LMC), which the NFA inaugurated last year to administer the elite division of Nigeria’s domestic football.

Rising from its meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, October 30, the club owners/managers throug its communique had  emphasized on the expiration of the tenure of the LMC in line with the terms of reference given to them by the NFF.

“The meeting specifically thanked the chairman and members of the LMC for their efforts in organising the just-concluded league as well as their several innovations and suggestions on the way forward and
wished them well in their future endeavours.”

NFA President, Aminu Maigari, who stated that the League Management Company remains in place, insisted that the LMC was inaugurated by the NFF, granted license by the Association to administer the Premier League and could only be sent packing by them.

“I am shocked to hear about a meeting of club owners/managers where they reportedly told the LMC to hand over to the Secretariat of the League. That is not within their purview; it is the responsibility of
the NFF to determine the fate of the LMC.

“The LMC has done very well within the past 10 months to reposition the Premier League, and they deserve commendation. The club managers themselves admitted that the LMC has brought several innovations to the running of the League. Why would we want to throw all that away in a hurry?

“As far as the NFF, the supreme football-governing body in Nigeria, is concerned, the LMC remains firmly in place and will have the opportunity to continue its good works for a period to be determined shortly.”

The club managers according to Maigari admitted that the LMC has brought several innovations to the running of the League, thus, they should not be in hurry to destroy the structure put in place by the LMC.

“Sincerely speaking, the NFF will always accord the club owners/managers their regard and we see them as critical stakeholders in the development of the game in our country. But there is an architecture of authority, which is not horizontal. The NFF hasprerogative on issues bordering on the running of the game in Nigeria
and has not conceeded this authority to any other group or body.

“Should the club managers have any grouse with the way the League is being administered, they should approach the NFF with their misgivings and we would resolve such matters, as we have done in the past,” Maigari said.

Maigari, said the club owners/managers should focus on improving the structures of their teams in line with the demands of professional football, stressing that he LMC has done very well within the past 10 months to reposition the Premier League, and they deserve commendation.