Sports
Why We Are In Financial Mess – NPL
The Nigerian Premier League Board (NPL) has given reasons why it is in financial crisis which led to the sealing of its corporate headquarters by the Abuja Environmental Protection Agency (AEPB). NPL Head of Media, Isaac Ibhafidon said yesterday that the reason was because of the problem it had with some of its investments, one of which was the N200 million properties for its permanent office at Garki area of Abuja.
He denied that there was any form of reckless spending by the board, which also led to the delay of salaries of its staff. Ibhafidon admitted that though the staff were being owed, all arrears would be cleared.
Ibhafidon also said that he closure of the NPL office by AEPB was based on a “minor misunderstanding. They made a mistake but we have settled it and the amount we owed has been settled.” He however, refused to mention how much was paid to vacate the sealing up of the premises order.
On the allegations that some of the cheques isused on its Equatorial Trust Bank account had bounced and returned, Ibhafidon said “None of the cheques issued bounced. How can we issue cheques when there is no money in the account? When there is crisis, people just cook up stories and this is just another lie,” observed the NPL head of media.
The AEPB had sealed off NPL office located at the highbrow Asokoro district of the Federal capital city due to non-payment of mere sanitation fees.
The NPL appeared in an Abuja magistrate court yesterday on the matter. It explained why it failed to comply with the earlier directives. The AEPB had hinged its power to seal up the property based on its 1997 Act.
The agency disclosed on the warrant to seal the premises that, “upon hearing counsel to the prosecution, and after being satisfied that the bill of charges was served on the accused person but remain unpaid and summons to appear before this court was served twice (June 23 and May 7th, 2009), respectively but the accused neglected or failed to answer the summons.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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