Pro League: LMC Insists on March 9 Kick-off Date

LMC Spokesman, Shehu Dikko

By Olawale Ajimotokan

The League Management Committee (LMC) has doused the concern of the House of Representatives Sports Committee by insisting that the Nigeria Professional Football League season will kick off on March 9.

The members of the interim body and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Thursday appeared before the committee to brief the committee on their plans for the league, in spite of the uncertainly trailing the activities of the pro body since it was inaugurated in December last year following the sack of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) headed by Victor Rumson Baribote.

Spokesman of the LMC, Shehu Dikko, had listed many hiccups which he said could likely militate against the operation of the league and by extension the scope of the LMC to meet its set objectives.

The league season was originally billed to start on February 16.

But despite the fears raised by the lawmakers, Dikko assured that the season would commence on the newly proposed date.

He said the LMC was already undermined by lack of money to start the league in addition to litigation slammed against it arising from unresolved commercial and sponsorship rights issues.

Baribote, who attended the hearing on the invitation of the House which appealed to him to discontinue with the court case he instituted, refused to recognize the LMC.

The LMC has proposed the league season to end on September 29 with mid-week matches incorporated to make up for the lost time.

The interim body insisted that for Nigeria to have a proper league, the clubs must have good administrative structures and standard training pitches. It also insisted on commensurate TV rights value for the commercial asset that will raise money for the clubs.

Dikko said that proposed leagues must get ideas from the English Premier League on the running of football and ensure that it is well branded to stimulate the interest of the fans.

He said that the British government which gave the EPL the take off lifeline of 200 million pounds is now reaping return on investments in form of tax generation.

But the chairman house sports committee Hon Godfrey Gaiya, expressed fears that there would be no progress in the league unless an elected body was put in place.

This position was reinforced by Hon Tobi Okechukwu, who described the current litigations against the LMC an existential treat to the league.