Nigeria Federal Government has turned its back on Shehu Dikko’s League Management Company (LMC), declaring it an illegal body, Edwin Emeanua reports for Sports Joust.
In a press release Friday, the government cited the plethora of unsavoury developments concerning the country’s Football League administration, particularly, the Court ruling declaring the National Football League (NFL) an illegal body.
The statement also pointed out the current status of the League Management Company (LMC), and the fallout of the comatose NFL-which continues to exist contrary to the Statutes of the NFF- as yet another reason for its decision.
Therefore, the statement said that the Federal Government has now been forced to rescind its earlier recognition of the LMC as the task to run professional football in Nigeria.
“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.
Sequel to the above, and 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 LEAGUE.
“To avert further chaos in our domestic football, the NFF is advised to immediately withdraw the License 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 by the Statutes of the NFF.”
