Let’s get govt out of our football – Irabor
Chief Executive Officer of the League Management Company, Honourable Nduka Irabor has called on Nigerians to organise community-based football clubs in order to ensure a sound financial base for clubs and the continuous survival of the Nigerian league. Irabor who was guest of the Vanguard roundtable conference yesterday said clubs as presently run and funded in Nigeria were doomed.
“Most of our clubs have been hijacked by government. Some of these clubs were formed during the military era as publicity stunts. They formed the clubs because they wanted to ingratiate themselves with the people but today these clubs are drain pipes where millions of naira that would have been used for other productive sectors are sunk into their running’’, Irabor said.
He noted, “Nigeria is perhaps, the only country where government runs football clubs. We can stop this with the new rules on ground. We have set the rule where government should not own more than 50 per cent of a club let the people own the remaining 50 per cent.”
The former Lawmaker said Nigerians must rise up to the challenge. “The South African champions, Kaizer Chiefs have more than 14 million subscribers. We have a bigger population than South Africa. We can have better-funded clubs if the will is there.”
He advised that people should not look at immediate gains before venturing into club ownership. “In every business there is a starting point; a gestation period before it matures.”
On players’ welfare, Irabor said because the clubs were still under the grip of government, the civil servants were always reluctant to extricate the players from the superstructure. “A permanent secretary will be reluctant to approve a salary that may be three times his annual pay for a player who may be a class five holder.”
He said the LMC had insisted on clubs making available their Financial Performance Guarantee before they could be registered but this, like most other ideas was misconstrued.
“Financial Performance Guarantee is where a club, through their bankers, will show the LMC a bulk amount which is a condition for registration. But the clubs refused to sign and went to town with reports that the LMC was asking for N50million as fees for registration which was wrong.”
He said some of the club administrators are resisting change because they were lazy and getting free money from government.
“Why would they find ways of attracting fans to the stands or think of merchandising club kits if free money is waiting to be collected from government. We must work for a new order, lest our league is doomed.
“Most of our clubs have been hijacked by government. Some of these clubs were formed during the military era as publicity stunts. They formed the clubs because they wanted to ingratiate themselves with the people but today these clubs are drain pipes where millions of naira that would have been used for other productive sectors are sunk into their running’’, Irabor said.
He noted, “Nigeria is perhaps, the only country where government runs football clubs. We can stop this with the new rules on ground. We have set the rule where government should not own more than 50 per cent of a club let the people own the remaining 50 per cent.”
The former Lawmaker said Nigerians must rise up to the challenge. “The South African champions, Kaizer Chiefs have more than 14 million subscribers. We have a bigger population than South Africa. We can have better-funded clubs if the will is there.”
He advised that people should not look at immediate gains before venturing into club ownership. “In every business there is a starting point; a gestation period before it matures.”
On players’ welfare, Irabor said because the clubs were still under the grip of government, the civil servants were always reluctant to extricate the players from the superstructure. “A permanent secretary will be reluctant to approve a salary that may be three times his annual pay for a player who may be a class five holder.”
He said the LMC had insisted on clubs making available their Financial Performance Guarantee before they could be registered but this, like most other ideas was misconstrued.
“Financial Performance Guarantee is where a club, through their bankers, will show the LMC a bulk amount which is a condition for registration. But the clubs refused to sign and went to town with reports that the LMC was asking for N50million as fees for registration which was wrong.”
He said some of the club administrators are resisting change because they were lazy and getting free money from government.
“Why would they find ways of attracting fans to the stands or think of merchandising club kits if free money is waiting to be collected from government. We must work for a new order, lest our league is doomed.
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