Chairman of Anambra state Football Association, and former Super Eagles defender, Chikelue Iloenyosi has called on the Nigerian football authorities and by extension, CAF and FIFA to ensure that the laws governing the smooth operation of the Nigeria Professional Football League must be strictly adhered to and obeyed.
One of such laws states that no two clubs under the umbrella of one ‘Holding Company/State Government/Individual Owner shall be eligible to participate in the same League.
Chikelue noted that if one of the clubs cannot be sacrificed for another in accordance with new NFF statutes, then they need to be merged together, similar to what currently obtains in Port Harcourt where Rivers united was formed by the merger of Sharks F.C. and Dolphins F.C. in 2016.
“I call these media people because I want to get things right so that this interview will get to the minister and go to the people who are running the league. I want to let people know that there’s law in everything we’re doing in Nigeria and we’re supposed to respect the law”
“we’re here under the development of grassroot football in Nigeria and make sure we support NFF to get it right”
“Abia state government have two teams in Enyimba and Abia warriors, under the law, no government is supposed to have two teams playing in thesame league. The legal aspect of our law frowns at this. So I called this medium to let people know cause am writing a petition to the people running the league, the minister, NFF, CAF and FIFA”
“Enyimba and Abia warriors are supposed to be merged as one team, so let us now start to do the right thing because the government that’s in power now is a government of integrity that wants to get things right”
“I’m here standing as the chairman, Anambra football association to support and make sure Ibrahim Musa Gusau look into this matter and make sure Abia state government does not have two teams playing in the league, because under the law of CAF and FIFA it’s not supposed to be”
“Rivers state merged clubs together, Emeka Inyama or Enyimba are supposed to collapse their teams, let’s do one thing in Nigeria to respect the law” he stated.
