NPL admits organising worst football season in 2011/2012

The Board of the Nigeria Premier League has admitted that the 2011/2012 season was the worst organised in the history of the league in the country since 2005.
At a meeting on Tuesday in Abuja, the Board also reversed several decisions it took in the course of the 2011/2012 NPL.
According to communique issued at the end of the meeting, which is the seventh since the inception of the NPL, the Board said: “The Congress deliberated on the state of the League, especially the just concluded 2011/2012 season, and agreed that it was the worst organised since the inception of the Nigeria Premier League in 2005.”
The communique said the Congress frowned at the management style of the current Board and expressed total disappointment in the inability of the Board to positively react to the series of allegations of managerial recklessness, executive rascality, high handedness, disrespect for clubs, refusal to call for a Congress, failure to secure a title sponsor for the League, and gross incompetence levelled against it.
It thus resolved: “Consequently, Congress invoked Article 22 (n) and unanimously resolved that the Board, which is an organ of the NPL, as constituted, be dissolved immediately, and mandated the Ag. Executive Secretary to take over the affairs of the League pending further consultation.”
Among the decisions taken by the Board but which were reversed on Tuesday was the the decision to expel Ocean Boys FC from the league.
The Board said the decision did not follow due process.
The Board also described the suspension from the activities of the NPL of Chief Okey Kpalukwu and Malam Farouk Yarma by the Chairman of the Board, Victor Baribote, as taken in bad faith and not in line with the NPL Statutes.
It therefore declared the decision was null and void.
The suspension of Hon. Akin Akinbobola from the activities of the NPL was equally lifted.
The Board then fixed February 16, 2013 for the commencement of the 2012/2013 league season.
But this will be subject to confirmation by the Nigeria Football Federation.
It said draws and pre-season activities for the 2012/2013 season shall hold in Kano at a date to be announced.
The Congress at the Abuja meeting on Tuesday formally admitted the four newly-promoted clubs to the NPL.
It also endorsed the relegation of four clubs and expressed optimism for a hitch free 2012/2013 season.
The Congress commended the leadership of the NFF for its commitment to the growth of the League.
Those that attended the Congress were the leadership of the 19 Premier League Clubs that took part in the 2011/2012 League; the three Executive Board members of the NFF as observers (Alhaji Shehu Adamu, Chief Emeka Inyama and Hon. Suleiman Yahaya Kwande); the representatives of three of the newly-promoted clubs as observers (El-Kanemi Warriors FC, Nasarawa Utd FC and Bayelsa Utd FC); the acting Executive Secretary of the NPL; and the secretariat staff of the NPL.