Leadership (Abuja)
17 September 2007
Clubs media officers forum of Nigeria have urged Nigeria Football Association (NFA) and Nigeria Football League (NFL) to urgently resolve the problems between them to allow for the growth and progress of the round-leather game in the country.
The call was contained in a press realease signed by the national secretary general of the forum, Usman Abbas Shehu of Wikki Tourists Football club, Bauchi, on Wednesday.
According to the release, the forum expressed its disappointment that the Globacom Premier League has not started as scheduled. The release added that, the problem between NFA and NFL has led to several postponement that have dampened the morale and enthusiasm of both players and football lovers nationwide.
The two football bodies, according to the press statement, ought to realise that Nigeria is bigger and more than any individual that would hold the nation to ransom for personal show of authority that does not translate into common good, to say the least, retrogressive.
The forum further stated that, their tussle would not only frustrate the sponsors of the league, but would greatly affect other programmes linked to the premier league and even portray Nigeria as a nation full of talents, but also full of unserious football administrators.
The forum spokesman Abas Shehu therefore, appealed to the Honourable minister of sports and chairman national sports commission to intervene in the matter for possible and quick resolution instead of folding his arms to see football which is the centre of unity that brings the nation into one fold collapse as a result of selfish interests between the two bodies.
The press release also urged the minister to bring the two bodies that is the NFA and NFL together for the last time so as to assign the responsibility of who posts referees to league matches to whoever is concerned, considering who has the funds to pay the match officials without tears for the growth of the game.
According to the secretary general, the forum commended the Nigeria football league for its laudable achievements particularly improving the welfare of match officials for the league to earn respect, improving the standard of Nigerian players and coaches which will soon measure up with its counterparts in football around the world as well as assisting Globacom premier league clubs with equipment which has never happened before the establishment of the NFL.
It also congratulated Nigerians and NFA for the recent victory of the FIFA under 17 world cup in South Korea. Adding, that with this victory the name of Nigeria and NFA's dignity is restored in the field of football.
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