Why Congress Sacked NPL Leadership

More facts have emerged on why the congress of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL)
dissolved the Chief Victor Baribote-led board in spite of his stepping aside.

A member
of the NPL congress, Alloy Chukwuemeka, told newsmen  in Ilorin that Baribote was “a driver of a
bad vehicle.’’

The
congress of the NPL comprised the leadership of the 20 teams in the premiership
league.

Chukwuemeka,
who is the General Manager of Abubakar Saraki (ABS) FC of Ilorin, said that the
purported stepping aside of Baribote as the league boss could not guarantee
their stay.

“ If a
vehicle is bad, changing just the driver alone cannot make a journey smooth.

“It is
rather advisable to overhaul it or better still change to a new vehicle
entirely to have a smooth movement,’’ he said.

The former
Yobe Desert Stars’ Media Officer said the congress identified
maladministration, financial rascality as well as lack of transparency and
goodwill to attract sponsorship as some of the ills of the dissolved board.

Chukwuemeka, who said the board’s sack was not to witch hunt , but done in the best interest of the league system, urged the Baribote-led board to accept it in good faith and as a sacrifice for the nation’s football to grow.

He said the system would be reorganised in collaboration
with stakeholders to address lack of sponsorship, poor officiating, indemnities
of officials, insecurity at venues and players welfare.

The congress, he added, had proposed February 16, 2013
as kick-off date for the new soccer season in order to enable the interim board
to tidy up necessary measures.