The Association of Nigeria Premier League Club Chairmen and Managers (club Owners) have called on changes at the football house insisting that the executive committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as presently constituted is not proper, saying the board has no second vice president as representative of the premier league clubs.
The body made the declaration yesterday during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Sports and chairman National Sports Commission (NSC), Dr Tammy Danagogo in his office at the National Stadium, Abuja.
Acting chairman of the association, Barrister Isaac Danladi said the clubs who are the bedrock of the country's football have been disenfranchised from voting in the federation elections and congress decision and also denied managing their own affairs by allowing a privately owned company to run the league contrary to the provisions of FIFA and NFF statutes.
The body while noting that lack of respect for the statutes for political and selfish reasons are responsible for the mistrust amongst the stakeholders and several litigations in the conventional courts, urged the minister to ensure the NFF and various stakeholders abide by the provisions of the statutes of football as sanctioned by FIFA and adhered strictly to FIFA's electoral code in the general conducts of elections into the various boards of the federations and affiliated leagues.
"The NFF board as present is not properly constituted. The board has no second vice president and premier league board is completely absent (rather a privately owned company is managing our league which is contrary to the provisions of FIFA and NFF statutes.
"Clubs have not been allowed to set-up their own electoral committee to elect the league board and manage the league as allowed in the FIFA standard electoral code as well as the statutes."
Responding, the Minister said the greatest challenge facing Nigerian football is lack of good management. He called on the NFF and various stakeholders to always seek peaceful way of dialogue rather than accuse one another.
"All the issues in our football are centred around management. I am actually aware of most of the issues you have raised. The issue of LMC, you not being represented in the NFF board and so on. I have severally tried to solve them privately. I believe that the way to work together and harmoniously is to privately try as much as you can to dialogue. Always seek peaceful means of dialogue rather than resorting to media accusation and counter-accusation. That is what caused most of the problems we are having. I assure you that we will certainly look into all these issues and resolve them."