League sponsorship: Gombe,Babangida warn against biding re-start
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- Written by Orkula Shaagee
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Sports critic, Alhaji Ahmed Gara Gombe yesterday warned the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) from going ahead with its plan to re-open the bidding process for awarding the Nigerian league title sponsorship, more than a month after carrying out the same process.
According to him, the December deal struck with MTN by the NPL was done without flaws and be allowed to stay.The NPL early December last year awarded the league’s title sponsorship to MTN at a staggering N2.6 billion for four years, beating former sponsors Globacom, who bided N2 billion over the same time frame.
But Globacom later protested their loss, saying due process was not followed in the award of the deal because Total Promotions were the ones that bided during the exercise and not MTN.
The matter, which was also taken to law court by Globacom, was during the week withdrawn, only for the NPL to announce last Thursday that the bidding process will be re-opened.
A statement signed by NPL Acting Executive Secretary Tunji Babalola and released by the Nigeria Football Federation, stated that after a review of the bidding process, the league body would re-open the bid for the title sponsorship.
According to Babalola’s statement “due process was not materially followed in the award and the subsequent execution of the title sponsorship agreement dated 24th December, 2010.
“On the strength of the foregoing, the NPL has resolved to re-start the whole process including the bid process and the agreement. The NPL will in due course make available to prospective interested persons new guidelines which will serve ensure that due process and transparency are followed”.
In a swift reaction, the NPL board disowned the Executive Secretary’s statement, saying he is on his own, maintaining that the sponsorship deal it signed with MTN last December remains valid.
The board noted that Babalola had no authority to speak for the NPL saying “whatever he has signed is not binding on anybody because he does not have the permission of the congress and board of NPL.
“NPL is a registered company and as such can take decisions on how to improve the game in the country without any interference.
“We want to state here that whatever Tunji Babalola has signed is null and void because he does not have the mandate of the congress which is the highest decision-making body and the board of NPL.
“We did what is best for the Premier League in the country and for anybody to feel that they can drag us back will not be good for the game in the country.
“Babalola cannot sign a document on behalf of the NPL concerning the bid process when the Chairman and Vice Chairman are still alive”, the statement said.
Reacting to it yesterday, Gombe, a former chairman of Gombe Football Association, urged Nigerians to disregard the sentiment of an indigenous company being expressed by Globacom to win the sympathy of the people.
He noted that the telecommunications firm would not save the apex Nigerian league, having failed in its first attempt as title sponsors of the same league four years ago.
“Globacom still owes NPL; they failed to honour their agreement with the NPL; so we are not expecting something different this time.
“They are taking Nigerians for a ride because the former process was right and free and fair without encumbrances. They (Glo) should accept the fact that they lost the bid and allow the league move forward because they were given all the privileges to participate in the exercise”
He advised MTN to stay away from the bidding process if the league board goes ahead to re-open the matter.
“My advice to MTN is that if the league board decides to re-open the process, they should stay away from it, enough is enough”, he concluded.
Also in his reaction, Kano Pillars FC Chairman Alhaji Tukur Babangida yesterday advised the Nigeria Premier League Baard not to rush into taking a decision on the ongoing wrangling in the league over the winner of the league’s title sponsorship.
In a telephone interview from Kano, Babangida said rather than take a decision on the matter, the league governing body should called a meeting of the NPL Congress who will advise on what to do.
Describing the conflict as unfortunate, the Kano Pillars boss noted that the Congress being the supreme body on league matters in the country is the only one that can decide whether to conduct fresh bidding process or allow the former to remain.
“It is unfortunate that this kind of thing is happening because it was the NPL that set up the panel that carried out the exercise of getting a sponsor for the league, and today they are saying the process was faulty but they don’t have the right to decide what happens, it is the congress which is the highest decision making body will decide; therefore they should call a congress to resolve the matter”, Babangida stated.
A member of the NPL board who preferred to remain anonymous told Trustsports in a telephone chat that the board will meet next week to take a firm decision on the matter.
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League sponsorship: Gombe,Babangida warn against biding re-start
Category: Sports Written by Orkula Shaagee Hits: 669
Sports critic, Alhaji Ahmed Gara Gombe yesterday warned the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) from going ahead with its plan to re-open the bidding process for awarding the Nigerian league title sponsorship, more than a month after carrying out the same process.
According to him, the December deal struck with MTN by the NPL was done without flaws and be allowed to stay.The NPL early December last year awarded the league’s title sponsorship to MTN at a staggering N2.6 billion for four years, beating former sponsors Globacom, who bided N2 billion over the same time frame.
But Globacom later protested their loss, saying due process was not followed in the award of the deal because Total Promotions were the ones that bided during the exercise and not MTN.
The matter, which was also taken to law court by Globacom, was during the week withdrawn, only for the NPL to announce last Thursday that the bidding process will be re-opened.
A statement signed by NPL Acting Executive Secretary Tunji Babalola and released by the Nigeria Football Federation, stated that after a review of the bidding process, the league body would re-open the bid for the title sponsorship.
According to Babalola’s statement “due process was not materially followed in the award and the subsequent execution of the title sponsorship agreement dated 24th December, 2010.
“On the strength of the foregoing, the NPL has resolved to re-start the whole process including the bid process and the agreement. The NPL will in due course make available to prospective interested persons new guidelines which will serve ensure that due process and transparency are followed”.
In a swift reaction, the NPL board disowned the Executive Secretary’s statement, saying he is on his own, maintaining that the sponsorship deal it signed with MTN last December remains valid.
The board noted that Babalola had no authority to speak for the NPL saying “whatever he has signed is not binding on anybody because he does not have the permission of the congress and board of NPL.
“NPL is a registered company and as such can take decisions on how to improve the game in the country without any interference.
“We want to state here that whatever Tunji Babalola has signed is null and void because he does not have the mandate of the congress which is the highest decision-making body and the board of NPL.
“We did what is best for the Premier League in the country and for anybody to feel that they can drag us back will not be good for the game in the country.
“Babalola cannot sign a document on behalf of the NPL concerning the bid process when the Chairman and Vice Chairman are still alive”, the statement said.
Reacting to it yesterday, Gombe, a former chairman of Gombe Football Association, urged Nigerians to disregard the sentiment of an indigenous company being expressed by Globacom to win the sympathy of the people.
He noted that the telecommunications firm would not save the apex Nigerian league, having failed in its first attempt as title sponsors of the same league four years ago.
“Globacom still owes NPL; they failed to honour their agreement with the NPL; so we are not expecting something different this time.
“They are taking Nigerians for a ride because the former process was right and free and fair without encumbrances. They (Glo) should accept the fact that they lost the bid and allow the league move forward because they were given all the privileges to participate in the exercise”
He advised MTN to stay away from the bidding process if the league board goes ahead to re-open the matter.
“My advice to MTN is that if the league board decides to re-open the process, they should stay away from it, enough is enough”, he concluded.
Also in his reaction, Kano Pillars FC Chairman Alhaji Tukur Babangida yesterday advised the Nigeria Premier League Baard not to rush into taking a decision on the ongoing wrangling in the league over the winner of the league’s title sponsorship.
In a telephone interview from Kano, Babangida said rather than take a decision on the matter, the league governing body should called a meeting of the NPL Congress who will advise on what to do.
Describing the conflict as unfortunate, the Kano Pillars boss noted that the Congress being the supreme body on league matters in the country is the only one that can decide whether to conduct fresh bidding process or allow the former to remain.
“It is unfortunate that this kind of thing is happening because it was the NPL that set up the panel that carried out the exercise of getting a sponsor for the league, and today they are saying the process was faulty but they don’t have the right to decide what happens, it is the congress which is the highest decision making body will decide; therefore they should call a congress to resolve the matter”, Babangida stated.
A member of the NPL board who preferred to remain anonymous told Trustsports in a telephone chat that the board will meet next week to take a firm decision on the matter.