CLUBS TEMPT ME WITH BRIBE - NPL SCRIBE
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- Category: Sports
- Written by David Ngobua
- Hits: 605
One of the nagging issues the World football governing body, FIFA, has beamed its search light on in a bid to salvage its name and the game is bribery and corruption. The international body has of late been exposed to so much opprobrium due to under hand dealings by some of its top officials. Back home, the Nigerian League is not insulated as cases abound of match fixing and bribery allegations especially towards the end of every season. Shot! therefore, engaged the acting Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Premier League, Mr. Tunji Babalola on the issues of bribe and match fixing. He acknowledged that there have been such attempts but said his name and integrity have remained a restraining force. Excerpts:
How challenging is your present responsibility?Let me say in life, any position you hold goes with a lot of challenges. Even in your family, it goes with a lot of challenges. As far as my position here is concerned, it has not been easy. On assumption of duty, you know we have series of crisis. We have title sponsorship tussle also. These crises really affected the running of the league. Consequently, we lack the required funds to run the league smoothly. For now, we do not have any viable source of income. As I am talking to you we have backlog of match officials’ indemnities arising from the previous seasons. I receive so many calls every day and we keep on pleading with such people to please bear with us. We keep telling them when our finances improve, we settle you but for how long will you continue to plead with people. So it has not been easy at all.
Would you therefore say you assumed headship of this secretariat with the requisite experience?
Yes, even before now, I had acquired the required experience. I had a lot of advantages. I have been opportune to work under two highly experienced football administrators. I have worked under Alhaji Salihu Abubakar and Mallam Alhassan Yakmut. In fact, it was Yakmut who recruited me at NFA when he was the HOD Professional League department. He was in the panel that interviewed me. After the interview, he said I was going to work with him. And truly, when postings were made, I found myself in his department. From then up to now, I have been here. When he was about leaving to the sports ministry under Engineer Aku as SA Technical, he handed me over to Salisu Abukakar, He said my brother please work with this boy. I have to confess here that these two people are my big brothers. I don’t have any regret working under them. I have acquired a lot of knowledge and experience under them.
Considering the position of things, do you have any regret accepting to preside over the secretariat of the Nigerian Premier League at this difficult period?
You know in life any position goes with so many challenges and you should expect it and that is what makes you a good leader. It makes you tough. It is not going to be a permanent thing. There must be a stop to all these. It is my belief that most of these things will one day be part of history. There must come a time that we would not have litigations to contend with and things will stabilize. Nigerian Football League will be something attractive enough for everyone to embrace. I have no regret but I believe for us to succeed, all hands must be on deck. If you say you are running away from challenges, you cannot be a good leader.
Did you ever imagine you would one day preside over the secretariat of the Nigerian Premier League for such a long time?
When I was appointed acting executive secretary of the Nigeria Premier League, it was a kind of surprise to me but you will agree with me that I am not a green horn when it comes to league management. I started with the professional league department under the then Nigeria Football Association. It may interest you to know that in the course of starting the Nigeria Premier League, I was posted to here on secondment from NFA. Since then, I have no regret working with the NPL league. I am already used to the system. I know almost all the clubs in the league and the officials also know me very well.
Positions like this come with so much pressure. Was there any moment you felt like throwing in the towel?
Yes, there was a moment like that but I don’t want to speak much on it because the case is in the law court. May be I will reserve further comment until the case in court is settled. In future, I will speak more on it. This has to do with the sponsorship tussle between MTN and globacom. It was a terrible moment for me. It was not easy. I don’t want to open up now it will look as if I am heating up the system, and in the process, exposing myself to court contempt. I reserve that for the future.
Let’s get this straight, have you ever been approached with bribe by any club?
My brother, in any position you find yourself, you are bound to experience it. Even you as a journalist you experience it. It is now left for you to look back where you are coming from. You have to look at your name and integrity, in fact everything. You don’t have to stain your name and integrity because of money. When you are working in this kind of environment, you are bound to be tempted. However, if someone approaches you with a request and you know that this is Team A and Team B and if you do this for A, it will affect B negatively; don’t venture into such a deal. Your conscience will prick you. What I am saying is that when you are tempted, you have to have an open mind. You should not take decisions based on tribe or language. You have to be fair at all times. You have to take all the clubs as yours.
You are presently dealing with 20 Nigerian Premier League clubs. Is there any whose organization has won your heart and deserves to be emulated by others?
Honestly, I am not supposed to be saying this but the two clubs that I admire most in this country are Kano Pillars and Enyimba FC Aba. It is not because they have bribed me or something like that but I like the way they package their clubs. They have done well in the area of merchandizing and followership. You see Kano Pillars’ jerseys everywhere in the country. If you go to Kano, you will be happy to be associated with the club. As a leader, you will be proud of the club. We are not supposed to be associating with clubs but I am telling you frankly that these two clubs are the best. I am calling on other clubs in the league to emulate Pillars and Enyimba. Other clubs should do something in the area of followership. They should look for a way to encourage their fans to come out for their matches. Whenever you go to Aba and Kano, you will be happy with what you see. In fact, you will be compelled to ask yourself, if it is Nigerian league that you are watching. These are the best clubs in Nigeria now.
One of the sore points in the Nigerian league is the constant wrangling between players and clubs over non-payment of sign on fees and salaries. What is the NPL doing to end this ugly trend?
My advice is that clubs should learn to promise these players realistic sign on fees and salaries. The clubs should know their financial abilities and use that as a yardstick to negotiate with their
Articles
CLUBS TEMPT ME WITH BRIBE - NPL SCRIBE
Category: Sports Written by David Ngobua Hits: 605
One of the nagging issues the World football governing body, FIFA, has beamed its search light on in a bid to salvage its name and the game is bribery and corruption. The international body has of late been exposed to so much opprobrium due to under hand dealings by some of its top officials. Back home, the Nigerian League is not insulated as cases abound of match fixing and bribery allegations especially towards the end of every season. Shot! therefore, engaged the acting Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Premier League, Mr. Tunji Babalola on the issues of bribe and match fixing. He acknowledged that there have been such attempts but said his name and integrity have remained a restraining force. Excerpts:
How challenging is your present responsibility?Let me say in life, any position you hold goes with a lot of challenges. Even in your family, it goes with a lot of challenges. As far as my position here is concerned, it has not been easy. On assumption of duty, you know we have series of crisis. We have title sponsorship tussle also. These crises really affected the running of the league. Consequently, we lack the required funds to run the league smoothly. For now, we do not have any viable source of income. As I am talking to you we have backlog of match officials’ indemnities arising from the previous seasons. I receive so many calls every day and we keep on pleading with such people to please bear with us. We keep telling them when our finances improve, we settle you but for how long will you continue to plead with people. So it has not been easy at all.
Would you therefore say you assumed headship of this secretariat with the requisite experience?
Yes, even before now, I had acquired the required experience. I had a lot of advantages. I have been opportune to work under two highly experienced football administrators. I have worked under Alhaji Salihu Abubakar and Mallam Alhassan Yakmut. In fact, it was Yakmut who recruited me at NFA when he was the HOD Professional League department. He was in the panel that interviewed me. After the interview, he said I was going to work with him. And truly, when postings were made, I found myself in his department. From then up to now, I have been here. When he was about leaving to the sports ministry under Engineer Aku as SA Technical, he handed me over to Salisu Abukakar, He said my brother please work with this boy. I have to confess here that these two people are my big brothers. I don’t have any regret working under them. I have acquired a lot of knowledge and experience under them.
Considering the position of things, do you have any regret accepting to preside over the secretariat of the Nigerian Premier League at this difficult period?
You know in life any position goes with so many challenges and you should expect it and that is what makes you a good leader. It makes you tough. It is not going to be a permanent thing. There must be a stop to all these. It is my belief that most of these things will one day be part of history. There must come a time that we would not have litigations to contend with and things will stabilize. Nigerian Football League will be something attractive enough for everyone to embrace. I have no regret but I believe for us to succeed, all hands must be on deck. If you say you are running away from challenges, you cannot be a good leader.
Did you ever imagine you would one day preside over the secretariat of the Nigerian Premier League for such a long time?
When I was appointed acting executive secretary of the Nigeria Premier League, it was a kind of surprise to me but you will agree with me that I am not a green horn when it comes to league management. I started with the professional league department under the then Nigeria Football Association. It may interest you to know that in the course of starting the Nigeria Premier League, I was posted to here on secondment from NFA. Since then, I have no regret working with the NPL league. I am already used to the system. I know almost all the clubs in the league and the officials also know me very well.
Positions like this come with so much pressure. Was there any moment you felt like throwing in the towel?
Yes, there was a moment like that but I don’t want to speak much on it because the case is in the law court. May be I will reserve further comment until the case in court is settled. In future, I will speak more on it. This has to do with the sponsorship tussle between MTN and globacom. It was a terrible moment for me. It was not easy. I don’t want to open up now it will look as if I am heating up the system, and in the process, exposing myself to court contempt. I reserve that for the future.
Let’s get this straight, have you ever been approached with bribe by any club?
My brother, in any position you find yourself, you are bound to experience it. Even you as a journalist you experience it. It is now left for you to look back where you are coming from. You have to look at your name and integrity, in fact everything. You don’t have to stain your name and integrity because of money. When you are working in this kind of environment, you are bound to be tempted. However, if someone approaches you with a request and you know that this is Team A and Team B and if you do this for A, it will affect B negatively; don’t venture into such a deal. Your conscience will prick you. What I am saying is that when you are tempted, you have to have an open mind. You should not take decisions based on tribe or language. You have to be fair at all times. You have to take all the clubs as yours.
You are presently dealing with 20 Nigerian Premier League clubs. Is there any whose organization has won your heart and deserves to be emulated by others?
Honestly, I am not supposed to be saying this but the two clubs that I admire most in this country are Kano Pillars and Enyimba FC Aba. It is not because they have bribed me or something like that but I like the way they package their clubs. They have done well in the area of merchandizing and followership. You see Kano Pillars’ jerseys everywhere in the country. If you go to Kano, you will be happy to be associated with the club. As a leader, you will be proud of the club. We are not supposed to be associating with clubs but I am telling you frankly that these two clubs are the best. I am calling on other clubs in the league to emulate Pillars and Enyimba. Other clubs should do something in the area of followership. They should look for a way to encourage their fans to come out for their matches. Whenever you go to Aba and Kano, you will be happy with what you see. In fact, you will be compelled to ask yourself, if it is Nigerian league that you are watching. These are the best clubs in Nigeria now.
One of the sore points in the Nigerian league is the constant wrangling between players and clubs over non-payment of sign on fees and salaries. What is the NPL doing to end this ugly trend?
My advice is that clubs should learn to promise these players realistic sign on fees and salaries. The clubs should know their financial abilities and use that as a yardstick to negotiate with their