LMC Conditionally Clears Nembe City, may play on Sunday…Club ‘drops’ Baribote from Board

Nembe City has received provisional approval from the League Management Company (LMC) to participate in the 2013/14 Glo Premier League season but with an additional proviso that the Club must send a written acknowledgement stating it has read and understood all the conditions set forth in the letter of admittance. The acknowledgement is to reach the LMC before 12 noon on Friday, April 5 or Nembe City may not play the Match Day 5 fixture in Uyo against Akwa United.

A letter from LMC Chief Operating Officer, Salihu Abubakar informed the Chairman of Nembe City that the Club has partially fulfilled the conditions set by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) emergency committee meeting to enable the Club be admitted to participate in the league. It however, pointed some serious discrepancies in the documents submitted by the club and directed that such be rectified on or before Match day 9.

The LMC particularly drew the attention of Nembe City to the irregular signature of the Chairman, Mrs. Ebiakpo Rumson on separate documents submitted in the course of the registration. It specifically noted that the signatures of Mrs. Rumson on the letter of allegiance and the letter of appeal of their non-registration are not the same. “Nembe City is required to duly fill and submit LMC Form 17 (list of authorized signatories to LMC”, the letter read.

On stadium approval for home games, the LMC said Nembe City has submitted a letter from Krisdera Hotel granting it the use of the Krisdera Hotel Stadium for its home games but demanded that “however, Nembe City is required to submit by Match Day 9 a proper lease agreement with Krisdera Hotel in line with the LMC recommended lease agreement and minimum conditions assuring priority of use on match days and granting unrestricted access”.

The LMC while acknowledging that Nembe City in a letter signed by Mrs. Rumson has declared that the club is not involved in any litigation against the NFF and LMC in any court of law and also provided a list of members of its Board of directors, however noted that “the letter failed to categorically dissociate Nembe City activities from Mr. Rumson Baribote who is serving a 15 year ban by the NFF and is in clear contravention of the rules, currently pursuing several court cases against the football authorities including the LMC”. It was however, also acknowledged that the name of Mr. Baribote was not among the list of board members of the club and that his name has been removed from the official stationery of the Club.

“Accordingly, the LMC will henceforth deal and communicate with only those officials whose names Nembe City has submitted to it in all matters pertaining to the club’s participation in the league, subject to NFF directive on imposition of sanction of three points and three goals in event of a breach of the club’s obligation not to associate with persons banned from football activities by NFF, CAF or FIFA”, the LMC warned.

Nembe City are also to meet requirements on provision of performance guarantee on or before June 24 or it will face sanctions of points deduction while it may be directed to host games outside of the nominated Krisdera Hotel Stadium should it fail to upgrade facilities at the venue as may be directed by the LMC. Furthermore, the Club is also to submit contracts it signed with its management personnel including the General Manager, Financial Officer, Media Officer and Security Officer amongst others while it must also show proof of its head coach having a CAF License B.

Concluding, the LMC wrote, “in view of the foregoing, the LMC has granted your Club provisional registration to participate in the 2013/14 Glo Premier League season subject to the LMC receiving a of acknowledgment of the terms and conditions of this letter from your club by 12noon on Friday, April 4, 2014. Your Club will thereafter commence participation from the upcoming Match Day 5 (Akwa United versus Nembe City) on Sunday, April 6 at Uyo”. It assured Nembe City that the outstanding four games not played will be rescheduled beginning from Wednesday, April 9.

Giwa FC in Conditional Clearance as Nembe City gets Wednesday Deadline

Giwa FC has been granted provisional approval to participate in the 2013/14 Glo Premier League as the club was adjudged by the League Management Company (LMC) to have substantially met four of the requirements listed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) at its emergency meeting that considered the appeal by the two clubs that failed registration requirements at the start of the season.

However, the second club, Nembe City FC has been given up to close of business today, April 2 to make good some of the conditions it failed to meet and which included the dissociation of the Club from dealings with its former Chairman, Chief Victor Rumson Baribote, currently serving a 15 year ban imposed by the NFF. Baribote is also at various stages of litigation against the LMC and NFF and the Club did not provide any proof of discontinuation of the cases.

In separate letters to the two clubs signed by Salihu Abubakar, the LMC Chief Operating Officer, reference was made to the four conditions imposed by the NFF on the Clubs and which they were to meet within seven days to be eligible to participate in the fixtures. The four conditions include submission of a signed letter of allegiance to the LMC in accordance with the approved format, appoint a stadium to be inspected and approved by the LMC, submission of detailed Medical Profile (passport) of all players in line with the LMC approved Medical forms and discontinuation of all matters and litigations in court.

“The LMC can confirm that Plateau State Football Association officials have provided us evidence of discontinuance of cases filed against the LMC by associates of Giwa FC. This evidence has been verified by our Lawyers”, Abubakar stated.

Specifically, Giwa FC was directed to write a formal letter of acknowledgment upon receipt of the letter of conditional approval as a pre-condition to be allowed to play the rescheduled Match Day 4 fixture against Rangers International on Wednesday in Jos. The letter from Giwa FC was received by the LMC Tuesday night and signed by the Chairman, Chris Giwa, it thanked the LMC “for the opportunity given Giwa FC to be back to play in the Glo NPL. We pledge our loyalty to the league body”.

The LMC in granting provisional approval for Giwa FC to join the league also set out other conditions to be met on or before June 24 in line with the ruling of the NFF emergency meeting. Top of these conditions was a directive to the Club to ensure that it filed a proper letter of allegiance using the form provided to it and with no caveat attached as was the case with the filing that led to the Club’s disqualification. Other conditions are the submission of N25m performance guarantee, submission of new contract documents with the players indicating compliance with the N150, 000 minimum wage with verifiable proof of payment and thirdly, all other registration requirements as provided for in the minimum registration conditions. Failure to meet any of these conditions will lead to the LMC applying relevant sanctions including but not limited to deduction of nine points from the already accrued points.

Giwa FC are further required to provide a proper lease agreement with the owners of the Rwang Pam Stadium in Jos using the sample lease agreement designed by the LMC and also providing details of stadium certification. The Club was further directed to embark on stadium upgrade to correct defects observed by LMC Stadium inspectors during the pre-season inspection exercise.

“Note that failure to comply with any of the requirements by Match Day 9 will result in your stadium being banned and your team moved to another venue and or points deduction as provided for in the rules and regulations”, LMC warned in the letter.

Though, Nembe City provided a letter granting the club access to use the Krisdera Hotel Stadium for its home games and a letter of allegiance to the LMC signed by Mrs. Ebiakpo Rumson, the Club failed to provide valid Medical Profile (passport) of their players as well as not signing and submitting LMC Form 17 for list of authorized Club signatories.

“Your Club has substantially failed to comply with the four mandatory conditions required to be fulfilled within seven days of the NFF decision to allow your Club re-admission into the League”, Abubakar wrote to Nembe City and concluded, “note that failure to comply with any of these requirements by 5pm on Wednesday, April 2nd 2014 will result in your Club being banned from the 2013/14 Nigeria Professional Football League season as provided by the NFF Emergency Committee decision of March 24, 2014 on your appeal”.

Giwa FC, Nembe City FC write LMC, Beg for Second Chance

Two seemingly recalcitrant Clubs which recently dragged the League Management Company (LMC) to non-football authorities may have made a U-Turn and written to the league regulator pleading to be admitted to participate in the 2013/14 Glo Premier League season. The two were adjudged by the LMC to have failed registration requirement tests and subsequently denied registration and participation in the league.

While Nembe City petitioned the House of Representatives Committee on Sports, two persons in Jos, home base of Giwa FC with no connection with the League filed separate cases seeking court ruling to compel LMC admit Giwa FC to participate in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL). But in a recent twist, officials of Giwa FC and Nembe City in separate but identically worded letters addressed to the League Management Company (LMC) appealed for a further consideration of their case.

The LMC has in turn referred the appeals to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) citing existing arbitration procedures for disputes in football. In the circumstance, the NFF may decide to hand over the appeal to the License Appeals Body, the Appeals Committee or the Executive Committee. The License Appeals Body is the second instance body according to the NFF Licensing Regulations but the Federation may also decide that it follows the old regulations which refers appellate matters to the Appeals Committee and may also choose to table it before the Executive Committee which sits on cases of urgent nature.

In a two paragraph response, LMC in the letter signed by the Chairman, Hon. Nduka Irabor acknowledged receipt of the appeal and informed the two clubs that their request has been forwarded to the NFF.

The LMC response read, “We write to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 20th March, 2014 on the above subject matter.

“Please be informed that we have taken note of your request and forwarded your letter to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) with whom power to hear appeals resides for such decisions as NFF may deem appropriate in the circumstance”.

The appeal letter from Giwa FC was signed by the proprietor, Ambassador Chris Giwa while Chairman of Nembe City, Mrs. Ebiakpo Rumson believed to be wife of the club President, Victor Baribote Rumson, signed for Nembe City.