Former first vice Chairman of the Nigeria League Management board’s interim committee Honourable Lumumba Adeh has criticised the NFF and NNL for declaring Adamawa United the team to be promoted instead of Plateau United.
Lumumba, in a communiqué sent to Sportinglife yesterday, wondered how an away team, in this instance, Plateau United are made liable for shortcomings in a game where the home team is exonerated.
Lumumba argued further that is was preposterous for the NFF to hinge its judgment on what happened to Adamawa against Taraba United stressing that the two instances are difference since in the case of Plateau, they were the visitors unlike in Adamawa’s, where they were the host team.
Details of Lumumba’s communiqué: The Case of Desperate Determination of NFF/NNL to Confirm Her Predetermined Candidate for Promotion to the Premier League.
It is now becoming clear to the innocent minds following the drama at the NFF/NNL with respect to the NNL 2015 Abridged League Division A1- The case of Plateau United and Adamawa United.
It became suspicious when the O & D committee of the NFF ruled in favour of Adamawa Utd in a protest case between Adamawa and Kogi Utd; a case which the NNL had ruled for the match to be replayed in Lokoja to everyone’s surprise.
KogiUtd expectedly disagreed and appealed against the decision.
Traditionally, the appeal was expected to be dealt with before the last round of matches (week 14) outstanding to round up the league in that group but the NNL/NNF surreptitiously ordered the last set of matches to be played against protestations, appeals and advice.
The Match; Week 14 – Spotlite FC KatsinaVs Plateau Utd FC, Jos @ Katsina Township Stadium
For the avoidance of doubt, Spotlite FC was the host as home team with Plateau Utd as away (visiting) team.
As a tradition all matches on the last fixture take place simultaneously and clear directives are given to the match officials viz referees and match commissioner. Therefore, the issue of control of time and timing rest with the officials listed above, the home team and the host FA.
Usually it is agreed at the rematch the time for arrival of both teams for the match; and it is not stated anywhere that Plateau United FC defaulted by arriving late or refused any instructions from match officials.
With the result and conclusion of the match not in contention, it is absurd that the away team is made to suffer loss of points in a very controversial ruling with no place in the rule books.
With Plateau winning away which they never expected because of the desperate standing of Spotlite on the league table (threatened by relegation), the schemers threw caution to the wind and encouraged Spotlite to protest against late start of the match. Even Adamawa Utd also filed a similar protest.
NOTE
- It is to be noted that the O & D committee has some lawyers as members.
- Even in the face of all these the appeal of Kogi Utd is pending and uncleared just to see the outcome of their schemes and use it as a joker.
iii. The O & D is shamelessly trying to cover up by making reference to a 2010/2011 case between Adamawa Utd and Taraba Utd as precedence. The two cases have no similarity at all. Even for the fact that Adamawa hosted that match in question.
- Speculations are rife that the leadership of the NFF wants to use this ‘favour’ to please a top ranking government official from Adamawa state whose name is being dropped all around.
This arbitrariness must not be allowed to continue in the interest of the development of football in Nigeria especially given the stance of the new government of Buhari against corruption. There is no better example than this as corruption is necessary not limited to financial matters.
CALLS
- The NFF to dissolve the O & D committee immediately to save her face
- The government to investigate the operations and dealings in the NFF just as in NNPC, NPA, NIMASA and the likes
- Plateau United and her owners, the state government of Plateau to resist this wicked and insulting ruling that smack of arrogance of power and abuse of privilege. Forward without delay a petition to both houses of the National Assembly.
- The issue of legality of the NFF as an entity within the sovereignty of Nigeria should now be tackled once and for all by establishing an authentic law to guide its operation and avoid the trampling on the rights of individuals and entities.
