1st January, 2013
The former Chairman of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL), Rumson Baribote, has described the inauguration of the interim board of the NPL as illegal.
Baribote told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone on Monday in Lagos that the December 5 congress that removed him from office was null and void.
The former NPL chair was sacked by a unanimous decision of 18 of the 20 club owners at a congress held in Abuja.
The club owners cited misappropriation of funds and the autocratic nature of the chairman as reasons for their action.
“As far as am concerned there is nothing as interim committee because there is an elected board of the NPL led by Chief Rumson Victor Baribote; and as I speak with you the matter is before court for interpretation.
“Whatever they have done the court will help to interpret that; until the court interprets the status of NPL and says okay that the board is done, then I can start commenting about it,’’ he said.
When asked by NAN if the litigations on the NPL would not continue to bog down progress of the league, Baribote said: “That question is supposed to be answered by the honourable minister and Maigari himself.
“The name I have today I built over the years and somebody cannot just come one day and make nonsense of that name and expect me to go and sleep. “I don’t think anybody loves Nigeria Premier League more than I do because apart from Bukola Saraki, I also own a club in the premier league.
“So if anybody should talk about premier league, it should be me and Bukola; the rest are owned by government.
“So I don’t think anybody who is pretending to love the premier league would love that premier league more than myself because I am part of the premier league,’’ he stated.
Reacting, to Baribote’s claim, Ademola Olajire, Head of Media of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said there was nothing illegal about the inauguration of the interim committee.
“There is nothing illegal about the committee. The management was inaugurated Dec. 27 at the NFF Secretariat in Abuja. It is fait accompli.
“So, whatever anybody is saying now does not hold water, so it’s a personal opinion. It does not hold water anywhere.
“There is freedom of speech. As far as we are concerned the committee is a fait accompli and has been sworn in and had already started work.”
The committee is headed by Nduka Irabor with Tunji Babalola as Secretary and Nwankwo Kanu, Mike Enahoro, Shehu Dikko and Modele Sarafa-Yusuf as members. Other members include Abubakar Nuhu Dan-Burau, Kunle Elebute, Mike Idoko, Salisu Abubakar, Sabo Babayaro, Seyi Akinwunmi, and Ifeanyi Dike.