The Football Club Owners Association of Nigeria has described as unacceptable and uncalled for, the reported invasion of the corporate headquarters of the League Management company, LMC, at Maitama in Abuja.
The Association said the police invasion of the premises of the League organizers was an unlawful act in the eyes of Football statutes, rules and extant laws, including the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Club owners maintained that the LMC was a creation of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, congress after all due process adhered to and incorporated with the corporate Affairs Commission in line with CAC Act as well as endorsed by CAF and FIFA.
The Association also recalled that in its recent interface with the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, it recommended to the Ministry via a letter to always follow all known Football procedures via the NFF as the custodian of the Nation’s Football for any action or inaction relating to its affiliates.
It however advised that the Ministry, the NFF and the LMC leadership should seek harmonious ways to ventilate issues in the interest of football development in Nigeria.
“No meaningful progress can strive in an atmosphere of rancor and Football is not an exception, ” it said.
“Again for the avoidance of doubt and to correct the wrong impression that it was the Club Owners that sort for the dissolution of the LMC, our letter to the Honourable Minister only suggested on how to move the league forward via Football recognized ‘rules and norms’,” it added.
Club Owners stated further that while it would align itself with all positive moves towards making the League better, It would not be coerced to associate itself with any move that “runs contrary to the principles and protocols of Association Football as propagated by FIFA, CAF , WAFU and the NFF.”
A statement jointly signed by the chairman of the Club Owners, Barr Isaac Danladi and the Executive Secretary, Chief Alloy Chukwuemeka, enjoined football stakeholders to be calm as efforts were being made to get the situation under control as programme of activities of the coming NPFL season was on top gear.
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