Obaseki remains banned as League kicks off

After a meeting with Chief Oyuiki Obaseki, chairman of Nigeria Football League, yesterday, the NFA chairman, Sani Lulu, maintained that Chief Obaseki remained banned for now.

The NFA last Sunday suspended key officers of the league ranging from two years to three following the postponement of the league by the NFL over who controls referees.

The matter had become controversial and FIFA later confirmed that the control of referees lies with the FA. But when NFL failed to kick off the league as agreed by the Annual General Congress, the NFA felt that it had exceeded bounds and suspended their chairman for three years, the scribe, Salihu Abubakar, the vice chairman and Isaac Ibhafidon for two years.The two bodies were invited by the Senate Wednesday.

The Senate Committee on Sports met with them and initiated the meeting Obaseki held with the NFA yesterday. Chief Obaseki and Lulu agreed that the league will now commence on September 23. But that did not mean the end of the crisis as the NFA had formally written the league board, directing that their most senior officers ensure the smooth take off of the league. He said that the board’s key officers remained banned for now.

Chief Obaseki had petitioned to the Senate about the problems he had been having with the NFA and informed the lawmakers that Dr. Amos Adamu, who is a CAF and FIFA executive member, had taken side and has not helped Nigerian football through his actions.

We gathered that it was based on this that Adamu stepped aside on the matter. But before now, he had clearly backed the FA and even helped rescue Lulu from an impeachment in the last Annual General Meeting of the FA. Obaseki was said to be part of the campaign to impeach Lulu who also fell out with some members of his board. Adamu played a role in reconciling them just as he played the major role in their membership of the board.

NFA and NFL will hold another meeting next week with the Senate but we gathered that the NFA will take care of referees indemnities for now until their relationship with the league board is normalised.

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