NANF decries illegal take-over of NPL secretariat
National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) has condemned the purported acquisition of the Nigeria Football League Secretariat in Abuja by Sterling Bank describing it as travesty of justice. Sterling Bank has taken full possession of the Nigeria Football League office by a court judgment in favour of (Equatorial Trust Bank) now Sterling Bank a sister company to Globacom.
In a statement signed by NANF President, Harrison Jalla, the action of the bank is based on a N100m loan instigated by Globacom who was indebted to the tune of N1.2b to the Nigeria Football League being outstanding payment of the 2009/2010 Football season sponsorship fees.
When Globacom was delaying the last tranche of the payment to the Nigeria Football League under Chief Oyuki Obaseki, Globacom itself advised the Nigeria Football League to take a bank overdraft of N100m from its sister company Equational Trust Bank (ETB).
“As we speak, the total indebtedness to (ETB) now Sterling Bank is N128m,” Jalla said in the statement. “After waiting fruitlessly for Globacom to pay for several months, the Nigeria Football League took Globacom to court and got a judgment of N922m with 10% interest until final liquidation before Justice Olateru Olagbebi of the Lagos State High Court.
“Globacom hurriedly got some Nigeria Football League officials together after the judgement, gave them gratification of N350m to compromise the judgement.
“The National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) has taken up the matter with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recover the N1b debt to the Nigeria Football League from Globacom.
“The puzzle now is how will a debtor of N1b take over possession of the property of the same person that is owing the debtor N128m?
“It would be in the interest of justice for Globacom/Sterling Bank to hand over the Nigeria Football League Secretariat back to its owners. It is a shame that this is happening in modern Nigeria and all the administrative organs of Nigeria football cannot talk from the NFF to the LMC to even the clubs themselves.”
Meanwhile, it has been alleged that some top official of the League Management Company (names withheld) are behind the acquisition of the NPL secretariat with a view to buying the place from Sterling Bank. But, Secretary General of the NPL Mr Kasali Obanoyen says the organization is ready to challenge the illegal and fraudulent possession of the secretariat by Sterling Bank to any level following the laws of the land.
